Frederick Albert Yuan Chiongbian. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
Promising Cebuano junior triathletes managed podium finishes, albeit in bizzare fashion, in the Singapore International Triathlon yesterday.
Frederick Albert Yuan Chiongbian and Ralph Eduard So, both from the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, were runners-up to eventual champion Aaron Shane Tan in the 14 to 15 years old division of the prestigious international race.
Tan, a Filipino, clocked 34 minutes and 26 seconds to rule the race while So (34:28) was initially declared second and Chiongbian (34:31) third.
But organizers later corrected the results, saying Chiongbian actually arrived before So but the timing mat failed to detect him because he stumbled at the finish line. Since So followed closely at third, it was his chip that the mat detected as the second placer.
When the dust settled, Chiongbian was officially declared second placer and So third.
Both Cebuanos were also runners-up in the 13-14 years old category of the recent Alaska IronKids that was topped by Filipino-German Arno Baetz. Chiongbian finished second while So settled for fourth.
Meanwhile, Cebuana Aaliyah Ricci Mataragnon placed fifth in the girls 14-15 division. She had a time of 38:39.
Mataragnon was the third placer in the the girls division of the 13-14 age group category of the IronKids.
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