Filipino triathletes are again gearing for a golden sweep in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Chasing improved clockings from their respective training camps overseas, defending champions Claire Adorna and Nikko Huelgas are bidding to duplicate their previous gold-medal performances in the swim-bike-run event.
“Hopefully, we could replicate what we did in Singapore,” said Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco.
Adorna ruled the women’s side in 2015 Singapore after defeating Filipino silver finisher Kim Mangrobang while Huelgas, chair of the Athletes Commission in the Philippine Olympic Committee, topped the men’s event at the expense of Japanese-Malaysian Rikigoro Shinozuka.
Carrasco isn’t discounting the possibility of bringing home a gold-silver combo with veteran John Chicano completing the four-man triathlon squad set to race Aug. 21 at the Water Sport Complex in Putrajaya.
“We’re making sure they’ll be in excellent shape before and during the race,” said Carrasco.
Adorna, a swimmer from UP, will be holed up at Thayanpura Camp in Phuket, Thailand, starting this month until early August under German coach Juergen Sachs. Huelgas and Chicano will train for one month in Malaysia beginning July under Australian coach Brett Sutton.