Aussie upends former champs

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu , Philippines   â€“ Australian Courtney Atkinson bucked overwhelming odds to steal the thunder from former world champions Pete Jacobs and Chris McCormack as he ruled the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa here yesterday.

Relegated to the background when ranged against a pair of highly regarded, well-credentialed rivals, Atkinson used a lightning-quick start in the swim leg to seize control then stamped his class in the bike stage to cushion the impact of Jacobs’ big fightback in the running event and capture the crown before an appreciative crowd that braved an early thunderstorm.

Atkinson, a two-time triathlon Olympian, came out of the 1.2-mile swim seconds ahead of Jacobs and built a four-minute lead in the 56-mile bike phase to frustrate Jacobs and complete the stirring win in three hours, 58.07 minutes.

Jacobs, the heavy favorite to reign again after dominating the last three editions of the annual event, found the going tough in cold, turbulent waters due to bad weather and fell short of his bid in the end, settling for runner-up honors in 3:59.09.

David Dellow, a world title contender, wound up third in 4:02.22 while the 40-year-old McCormack, the Ironman world champion in 2007 and 2010, struggled to finish fourth in 4:03.15 to cap the Aussies’ domination of the men’s event.

It was Atkinson’s second title since topping an Ironman 70.3 event in Cairns back home last June and it came two weeks before turning 34 on Aug. 15.

“It’s a nice birthday gift to myself,” he said.

Despite the setback, Jacobs said he was satisfied of his performance.

“I’ve finished first last year and second this year, that’s not bad,” said Jacobs, who used last year’s win as a springboard to topping the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Jacob turned in the fastest time in the run part in 1:15.37.

But Atkinson topped the swim and bike events, coming away with best times of 23.50 and 2:12.39, respectively.

“I had no energy at start of the bike part but I recovered in the middle of it and made an incredible run and I almost caught up with Courtney,” said Jacobs, who competed with wife Jaimielle Jacobs.

In contrast, Swiss Caroline Steffen had little trouble in annexing her second straight women’s title after making the arc in 4:16.12, for an imposing 11-minute lead over American Bree Wee and seasoned Australian Belinda Granger, who finished second and third in 4:27.49 and 4:33.50, respectively.

“I’m happy with my performance because I bested my time last year by four minutes, that’s good enough for me,” said the 34-year-old Steffen, also gearing up for the Ironman World Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada in October.

Youthful Banjo Norte of Team TBB Alaska, for his part, surprised the field as he ended up 13th overall to emerge the best Filipino male finisher with a 4:26.44 clocking. He pulled the rug from under last year’s winner August Benedicto, who struggled in the bike stage to finish in 4:32.38.

“My training with Alaska TBB paid off,” said the 20-year-old Norte from Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

Local-based Canadian Mathieu O’Halloran, who finished in the top five last year, opted to just look over for his Team TBB Alaska students headed by Norte as well as long-time Filipino girlfriend Joyette Jopson. 

“I’m just happy that Banjo and my other students did good and also my girlfriend, it’s a proud moment for me,” said O’Halloran, who has been living in the country for six years now.

Topping the women’s Filipino elite section was former Southeast Asian Games triathlon silver medalist Sandra Araullo-Gonzales, who clocked 5:05.33 to beat another Team TBB Alaska athlete Jenny Rose Guerrero.

Others who competed in the event were popular local and international celebrities Apl.De.Ap of Black Eyed Peas and the Apl.De.Ap Foundation, Timex’s Piolo Pascual, Drew Arellano, Mateo Guidicelli, Isabela Daza, Gretchen Fulido, Kim Atienza and Sen. Pia Cayetano.