INQUIRER Sports

SUBIC FREEPORT?Bucking the oppressive heat, Damien Derobert of France ruled the men?s elite race in the 2009 Subic Bay ASTC Asian Duathlon Championship Sunday and moved on top of the International Triathlon Union rankings.

?The weather was very odd, it was so hot,? said the 28-year-old Derobert, who ran all by his lonesome in the last four kilometers to win in one hour, 49 minutes and 24 seconds.

?In the last two kilometers, I was very tired, so it was all mental in my final run,? added Derobert, who placed second in the World Duathlon in September.

The Frenchman overhauled erstwhile No. 1 Sergey Yakovlev of Russia, who wound up third this time in 1:50:10.

World No. 4 Raphael Baugh of Australia finished 12 seconds off Derobert in 1:49:36 to clinch second place.

Japan emerged as the region?s best performer after sweeping the Asian men and women?s elite divisions of the grueling 10k run-40k bike-5k run that kicked off and ended at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

Japan?s Yuya Fukaura topped the Asian men?s elite and ranked fourth overall in 1:51:35, while compatriot Airi Sawada took her third straight Asian women?s elite title in 2:05:39.

Neil Catiil, the reigning RP International Duathlon Open champion, followed Fukaura home in 1:53:03 to finish fifth overall.

?The lead pack pulled away in the last run,? said Catiil, a 23-year-old find from Cagayan de Oro City, in Filipino. ?It was a very strong field.?

?I trailed in the first run, then I managed to catch up in the bike leg, so I was so tired in the final run,? added Catiil, the only racer who completed the bike leg in less than an hour (59 minutes and 32 seconds).

National duathlete August Benedicto wound up sixth overall and the third Asian finisher in 1:55:46, over two minutes behind Catiil.

Czech Republic?s Radka Vodickova, 25, who dominated the Malakoff Powerman 2009 Championship in Malaysia last week, captured the overall women?s elite crown in 2:04:44.

Monica Torres came in three minutes behind Japan?s Sawada in 2:08:10 to rank second in Asia and third overall in the women?s division.

Japan?s Masaaki Kurihara led the podium finishers in the men?s elite U-23 with a time of 1:51:17. Hong Kong?s Joyce Cheung Ting-yan clinched the women?s elite U-23 in 2:13:47, followed by RP bet Kim Mangrobang (2:24:05).

Syria?s Omar Alsaleh bagged the male elite junior in 1:02:14, while Filipina Johannah Pe Benito picked up the female junior title in 1:16:48.