KAILUA KONA, HAWAII – OCTOBER 08: Petr Lukosz of the Czech Republic competes on the bike during the IRONMAN World Championships on October 08, 2022 in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Tom Pennington/Getty Images for IRONMAN/AFP
Seeking to win a second full Ironman title in three years, the seasoned Petr Lukosz of the Czech Republic leads a star-studded international field in the Century Tuna IM slated to be flagged off at Subic Bay Boardwalk on June 9.
The winner of the grueling 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-km bike and 42.2-km marathon in 2022, Lukosz breached the 10-hour barrier with a remarkable 09:52:34 clocking.
Despite falling short in his age-group category in the recent 70.3 in Cebu, the corporate executive remains the triathlete to watch in the upcoming full-distance edition of the premier endurance race organized by The Ironman Group.
The event has so far attracted 369 triathletes from 44 countries, with the Philippines fielding in 147 entries, led by Jemuel Clemente, who finished 13th overall in last year’s edition won by Dutch Erik van der Linden. Other notable Filipino competitors are Daniel Valdez, Ramon Abeleda, Gabb Rosario, Lexter Ansaldo, Rolando Alquero and Edgar Puruganan.
Japan has the next highest number of entries with 54, followed by France with 18. The US is sending 16 entries, and Singapore and Vietnam each fielding 10.