Franklin Ferdie Yee on top of the podium. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Local athletes didn’t disappoint in flexing their winning form in last Sunday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu.
Budding triathlete Franklin Ferdie Yee, elite cyclist Lovely Gitaruelas, and swimming prospect Fionna Alcoseba did shine in the race that fielded 1,385 triathletes coming from 54 countries.
Yee lorded the men’s 19-24 years old category and emerged as the sixth overall in the entire age group, while Gitaruelas and Alcoseba teamed up in the all-female relay team of the Isabela Tri Club that emerged as the champion in the women’s relay competition.
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Cebu’s Yee finished the race in four hours, 43 minutes, and 39 seconds to clinch the 18-24 year old category. He was sixth overall among the hundreds of age groupers who competed in IRONMAN 70.3 last Sunday.
He beat Tri SND Barracuda’s Kenneth Bonda who settled for second place in 4:47:54, while fellow Cebuano Jewin Ochea secured the third spot in 5:11:55.
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Amazingly, Yee was ahead of former Filipino elite champions Banjo Norte and Paul Jumamil in the overall rankings as the two seasoned triathletes placed seventh and eighth places, respectively.
From left to right; Fionna Alcoseba, Sandi Menchi, and Lovely Gitaruelas posing on top of the podium. | Contributed photo
Women’s relay
Meanwhile, Alcoseba and Gitaruelas along with their teammate Sandi Menchi, a Baguio-based runner, topped the women’s relay in four hours, 54 minutes, and 16 seconds.
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Alcoseba, the younger sister of Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Raven Faith Alcoseba, finished the swim course in 32 minutes, while Gitaruelas completed the bike course in two hours and 40 minutes.
Menchi finished the run course in one hour and 37 minutes. All three of them tallied the fastest splits that resulted in their first place finish.
Team CSB Tri Team finished second in 5:27.52, while Team Lanao del Norte claimed the third spot in 5:47:58.