RP triathletes fight for Top 10

DOHA, Qatar — Just like the rest of the embattled members of the Philippine delegation in the 15th Asian Games here in Doha, it will be a tough uphill climb for the four local triathletes when they go up against Asia’s best in the triathlon race set today along the Al Corniche area in Doha Bay.

Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Sandra Araullo and bronze medal winner Arland Macasieb are the veterans while newcomers are Mikki Quilala and Lea Coline Langit with Macasieb, Araullo, and Langit looking at upper top 10 finishes.

Fifteen are entered in the women’s event of the sport which makes its debut in Asian Games. The triathletes to beat are Asian No. 1 Ai Ueda of Japan, who won the last Asian championship, and China’s Xing Lin, but another Japanese bet, Akiko Sekine, who placed 12th in the Athens Olympics will be a tough competitor.

Other ranked women entires are China’s Wang Hong Ni who won the Subic Bay International Triathlon in the past, Kazakh Yekaterina Shatnaya, Malaysian Fui Li Yap, Koreans Na Eun Nam, and Kim Hye Min, and HK’s Mak So Ning and Christine Bailey.

In the men’s side, which attracted 28 entries from 15 countries, Macasieb will be overmatched against top favorites Dmitry Gaag and Daniel Sapunov.

Gaag, the former world champion, is the top favorite. Ganging up on him are Japanese Hiroktsu Tyama and Ryosuke Yamamoto, Hong Kong’s Olympic veteran Daniel Lee Chi Wo, and Andrew James Wright, China’s Jiajie Kung and Jiang Zhi Hang, and Uzbeks Ivan Morozov and Artem Mikheev.

Triathlon president Tom Carrasco said he is looking at next year’s SEA Games where he is targeting a double gold medal finish and looks at his triathletes’ stint here at Doha as a toughening experience.