Asian duathlon slated

MANILA, Philippines - World class action takes place in the 2009 Subic Bay ASTC Asian Duathlon Championships slated Nov. 15 at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Russian Sergey Yakolev, the number one ranked duathlete by the International Triathlon Union (ITU), and Japan’s Aira Sawada banner the foreign field in the male and female elite class as they vie for top honors and a big slice of the P250,000 total prize raised by the organizing Triathlon Association of the Philippines in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Philippine Sports Commission.

ITU will conduct a Level II technical official education seminar Nov. 13-14 with ITU events operations manager Thanos Nikopolous as lecturer.

Participants will be asked to help officiate in the Asian Duathlon. Those who pass the test may be eligible to work in the Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010 and the Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman in 2011.

Joining Yakolev, who won the 2009 Mekong River ITU Duathlon World Series event and placed third in the Budapest ETU Duathlon European Championships, are ITU No. 2 Damien Derobert of France, No. 4 Raphael Baugh of Australia and No. 10 Yuya Fukaura of Japan.

Malaysia’s Shahrom Abdullah and Krishna Kumar have also confirmed their participation in this event backed by the Subic Bay Metro Authority, Rudy Project, Sunkist, Fitness First, Globe, David’s Salon, Vitwater, Gatorade and Asian Center for Insulation Phils.

Derobert’s best showing this year was a second-place finish in the World Duathlon held Concord, Connecticut, USA. Baugh finished second to Ryan Mendoza in the 2006 Asian Duathlon Championship in Clark.

Sawada looms as the top female competitor, having topped the Mekong River race last March aside from finishing 12th in the World Duathlon.

Sawada’s compatriot Erika Inoue is also competing in a 10K run, 40K bike and 5K run distance in a new course at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.