salem
A month removed from his latest triumph, Satar Salem hopes to come into the Megaworld Ironman 70.3 presented by AIA Vitality this weekend in tip-top shape as he joins the hunt not only for top honors but for slots to the World Championship slated next year.
The 26-year-old from Lanao del Norte, who beat a talented field in the Sunlife 5150 in Bohol last month, is one of the fancied local bets that will be part of close to 2,000 bidders in the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-km bike and 21-k run event that starts and ends at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu on Sunday.
There will be bets coming from 46 other countries and most have arrived in the Queen City of the South to acclimatize and familiarize themselves with the new course that will have the bike route going to the newly-built Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway bridge.
Elevated 476 feet above sea level, the 8.9-km modern toll road in Metro Cebu will host the bike leg and give the competitors a breathtaking view.
Salem was the top Filipino finisher in the 2018 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship, where he clocked two hours and 30 minutes while seeing action in the 18 to 24-year-old category. INQ