Franklin Ferdie Yee on top of the podium during the awarding ceremony. | Photo from IRONMAN 70.3 Davao
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Less than two weeks after he figured in a vehicular accident during a bicycle ride, Cebuano triathlete Franklin Ferdie Yee made a remarkable comeback by ruling the male 18-24 age group of IRONMAN 70.3 Davao on Sunday.
Yee, representing the Tribu Isabela Tri Club, completed the grueling course in an impressive 4 hours, 20 minutes, and 25 seconds.
His victory not only secured him the top spot in his age category but also earned him an incredible third overall finish among the male competitors.
READ: Team TLTG-Go For Gold young triathletes shine in Ironkids Davao
Yee’s victory was inspirational because it happened just a few days after he was struck by a speeding vehicle in Danao City while on a training ride.
Thankfully, he escaped serious injuries and returned to form almost immediately, proving his resilience and determination.
IRONMAN 70.3 Davao
The overall male champion title went to Dutch Olympian Eric van der Linden, who crossed the finish line with a time of 4:19:27, closely followed by John Patrick Ciron of Go For Gold PH/Camsur Tri Team at 4:19:45.
READ: IRONMAN 70.3 Davao kicks off on Sunday
Czech Republic’s Petr Lukosz, also racing for Tribu Isabela, secured fourth place overall with a time of 4:24:49. Cebuano Jorry Ycong rounded out the top five with a finish time of 4:26:08.
On the women’s side, Leyann Ramo of TRI SND Barracuda led the pack, claiming victory with a time of 4:48:18.
Sophia Capistrano followed in second place at 5:12:14, with Carolina Cobos securing third in 5:16:14. Chloe Jane Ong, another TRI SND Barracuda athlete, finished fourth in 5:21:05, while China’s Heidie Die Wu took fifth place with a time of 5:22:07.
READ: Cebuano athletes excel in IRONKIDS Lapu-Lapu 2024
The relay races saw Tribu Isabela Tri Club dominate across the board, clinching first place in the male, female, and mixed relay categories.
Their male team triumphed with a time of 3:47:37, followed by Team Go For Gold Philippines at 3:53:00, and TAMT Tri Team in third with a time of 4:01:07.
In the women’s relay, Tribu Isabela finished first in 4:46:15, beating Team Sante Barley, who clocked in at 4:47:57. Team RLC completed the podium with a time of 5:18:12.
The mixed relay category also belonged to Tribu Isabela, with their team crossing the line in 3:56:32. Team Tri SND Barracuda followed with a time of 4:12:37, while Team Isabela’s second squad secured third place at 4:30:57.