Compared to the Philippine triathlon team, the national duathlon squad doesn’t have the popularity.
But that won’t stop this less-recognized group from contributing heavily to the Philippine, medal cache when the 30th Southeast Asian Games gets going later this month.
In fact, the duathlon team is also shooting to sweep all the gold medals in its events, something which the triathletes are favored to achieve.
Asian women’s elite champion Monica Torres, Northeast duathlon sprint winner Pawie Fornea and junior campaigner Chelsea Sabado are capable of sweeping the medal podium in the women’s side of the run-bike-run discipline during the Games.
“We are expecting a difficult race and we should be in top shape on the day itself,” said Torres, the reigning duathlon women’s titleholder in the continent and the fastest Filipino in the Cobra Ironman 70.3 for six years running now.
Torres and Sabado checked in 1-2 in the women’s elite division to rule the recent Singapore 60 City Duathlon International.
They also performed similarly during the Everly Putrajaya Trifactor International Duathlon in Malaysia where the finest duathletes in Southeast Asia showed up.
Fornea, meanwhile, captured the Northeast Duathlon Sprint women’s title in Maryland, United States and prevailed in the Diamond Duathlon Sprint held in Lums State Park, Delaware where she qualified for the Team USA 2020 ITU Standard Duathlon World Championship.
Scheduled Dec. 4-5 at the Subic Freeport Zone, duathlon is making a comeback in the SEA Games. Filipino duathlete Ryan Mendoza ruled the 2007 edition in Thailand, the last time the discipline was held.
Pinoy triathletes are again a cinch to sweep both the men’s and women’s titles.
The Philippines finished 1-2 in 2017 Malaysia in the men’s category (Nikko Huelgas and John Chicano) and women’s division (Kim Mangrobang and Claire Adorna)