John Chicano (left) and Kim Mangrobang. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippine–Kim Mangrobang remains as the heavy favorite in women’s triathlon of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam while John Chicano is the country’s strongest bet in duathlon.
Mangrobang, the back-to-back women’s SEA Games gold medalist, and the 2019 men’s champion Chicano will headline the country’s jaunt in the Subic International Triathlon (SUBIT) on May 1, their last big hurdle before heading to the Vietnam Games to defend their titles.
They will be tested against 30 elite foreign triathletes from Australia, Japan, United States, Poland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, India and Azerbaijan bannered by Ukraine-born Olympian Rostyslav Pevtsov.
Joining Chicano and Mangrobang at Subit, now returning at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone after a two-year hiatus, are national team mainstays Raven Faith Alcoseba and 2019 SEAG men’s silver medalist Kim Remolino.
Alcoseba and Remolino belong to the Triathlon Association of the Philippines’ new crop of young triathletes to keep the nation’s gold-medal streak in the SEA Games going since 2015 in Singapore.
On its 29th year, Subit is the country’s longest running triathlon with newly installed Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman and Administrator Rolen Paulino serving as assistant race director during its inaugural edition.
“I’m proud to say that Subit has produced our SEA Games champions, Asian duathlon gold medalists and notable performers in both the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Palembang Asian Games,’’ said Trap president Tom Carrasco.
The first international-flavored triathlon event in the country since the onset of the pandemic, Carrasco said the Subit plays a major role for the preparation of Chicano and Mangrobang as well as their teammates to again rule the triathlon races in the SEA Games for the fourth consecutive edition.
According to Carrasco, Subit is a vital component of Trap’s recruitment process where the likes of youth standouts Gene Heart Quiambao, Erika Burgos, Mathew Hermosa and the famed Lipura twins were discovered.