World tilt slots staked in Cebu 70.3

Thirty slots to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships will be up for grabs on Aug. 7 when the Philippine leg is flagged off in Cebu where close to 2,000 entries will answer the starting gun.

There will be a total of 1,113 entries vying in the individual race, counting 68 from the United States, which has the biggest foreign delegation, and 27 from triathlon power Australia.

Finland will host the 2023 Worlds in the city of Lahti, known as the gateway to the Finnish Lake District.

Satar Salem, who won the Sun Life Bohol 5150 event, spearheads the local charge as the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-km bike and 21-km run event will have the entries tackling a newly designed race route that will take them to the brand-new CCLEX bridge.

Singapore will be fielding in 66 entries, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan are fielding in 58, 43 and 41 participants, respectively, with the United Kingdom to be represented by 24 bets in the race that will start and end at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City.

Other countries represented are Italy, Norway, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Macau, Montenegro, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Canada, Bermuda, Belgium, Vietnam, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Guam, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Kenya, Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand, Switzerland and Poland. INQ