INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Two-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington, the first British winner of the race, and former International Triathlon Union world champions Nicole Hackett and Dimitry Gaag will lead the stellar cast in Saturday's 16th ITU Subic Bay International Triathlon at the Subic Freeport Area.

Four-time Subic winner and 15th Doha Asian Games silver medalist Daniel Lee Chi-wo of Hong Kong, women?s defending champion Tenoko Sakumoto of Japan and Asian champions Takumi Obara, Haruna Hosoya and Daniil Sapunov are also among the nearly 500 participants in the tough races.

The 32-year-old Wellington won the world championship back-to-back in 2007 and 2008, in Hawaii.

Aside from the Philippines, also fielding entries in the country?s longest-running major international triathlon event are South Africa, China, Singapore, Great Britain, New Zealand and Singapore.

The other events are mini-sprint (13-15 years old), sprint event for juniors (16-19 years) and beginning adults, interclub and team relay competitors and age group races.