Andrew Kim Remolino (right) in the lead with Yuan Chiongbian at his heels in the run portion of the NAGT race in Danao City. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
Newbie Remolino stages huge victory in NAGT Cebu
In only his first year of competing in triathlon races, it seems Kim Remolino has already gone a long way.
It showed yesterday when he scored a big upset over noted triathlete Yuan Chiongbian in the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) Cebu Leg held in Danao City, northern Cebu.
The 16-year-old Remolino, a swimmer, finished the competition with a time of one hour, 21 minutes and 58 seconds while Chiongbian settled for second place with a time of 1:22.56. John Caleb Barlin rounded off the top three, clocking 1:25.09.
Remolino said being a rookie in this grueling sport doesn’t mean one can’t outclass veterans. But he said there’s a lot of work needed to achieve that tough task.
“I excelled because I trained hard. It’s not about how many years you’ve been a triathlete,” Remolino said.
At the forefront of Remolino’s tough training is his father, swimming coach Rolando Remolino, who was very pleased with his son’s performance yesterday.
Rolando shared with Cebu Daily News the recipe he used to hone his son’s skills.
He said his son trains with veteran cyclists, joins long-distance runs with marathoners and, of course, takes advantage of his skill in swimming, to which he was initiated when he was five years old.
“I told him that if he’s willing to follow the path to become a winner, not just in sports but also in life, sacrifices must be made along the way. He never hesitated [making sacrifices],” Rolando said.
The younger Remolino just started training for triathlon recently but has already made a name for himself while competing in the younger divisions.
Just last December, Kim proved that he can keep up with the elite triathletes by topping the final leg of the Tri Team Series Championships. In February, he won the first leg of the NAGT super sprint division in Subic.
“I am very happy with his performance because he really did his best, he really pushed himself to the edge and I think all of our hard work totally paid off,” Rolando said.
Meanwhile, the women’s elite division was marred with a bit of controversy when Ryder Omega Pro Tri Team’s Cianyl Jamae Gonzales and Aimee Dequina were both disqualified for missing at least a single loop in the 30-kilometer bike portion. Both had been adjudged first and second, respectively.
Because of the boo-boo, eventual third-placer Jacqui Rose Lamparero was declared winner in the division with a time of 1:48.10 followed by Mary Luz Shimizu (1:59:12) and Merly Colmenares of MotorAce Racing Team (2:00:30).
One of the organizers, Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez, confirmed Gonzales and Dequina lacked the required loops in the bike portion.
“We reviewed it thoroughly and we found out that they really lacked the required loops,” Rodriguez said.
Around 150 triathletes joined the second leg of the three-part series.
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