Huelgas, Stroh top Tri United

NATIONAL team mainstay Nikko Huelgas summoned his old deadly form yesteday to rule the Tri United 2 triathlon at Playa Laiya in San Juan, Batangas.

Underlining his reputation as the country’s finest, Huelgas topped the male Elite race in wire-to-wire fashion, finishing the punishing 2-km swim, 60-km bike and 15-km course in two hours, 57 minutes and 21 seconds.

Sharing the limelight with Huelgas was German Anna Stroh who pulled off an upset in the women’s division.

Stroh bucked a slow start in the swim and bike leg with a big finish in the run to stun former national champions Sandra Aruallo-Gonzales and Ani de Leon-Brown.

Based in Shanghai, Stroh timed 3:19:58 while Araullo-Gonzales (3:30:16) and De Leon-Brown (3:31:02) came in second and third, respectively.

The bronze medalist in the Philippine National Games last May, Huelgas held off Jonard Saim to notch his first victory this year.

Saim, from Gen. Santos City, came in second in 2:58:18. Ben Rana (3:05:58), August Benedicto (3:07:32) and Philip Atento (3:19:16) completed the top five in the race sponsored by Unilab Active Health in cooperation with the Association of Laiya Resorts Owners.

Youth Olympic Games candidate Jimu Patilan (1:14:16) needed a sprint finish to spoil the bid of Jose Nobles IV (1:04:36) in the sprint distance (750-m swim, 20-k bike and 5-k run), while Magali Echauz (1:14:06) won over Vicky Deldeo (1:17:34) and Kate Lagman (1:19:34) in the ladies’ race. Cedelf P. Tupas