Aussies eye another dominant finish

Photo taken from regent.5150philippines.com

AUSTRALIAN triathletes look to dominate yet again when the 2016 Regent 5150 Triathlon gets going on June 5 in Subic.

Sam Betten, who completed Australia’s two-division sweep with veteran Belinda Granger last year, aims to defend his male pro title in the gruelling 1.5K swim-40K bike-10K run.

But among the 6-foot-4 Betten’s toughest challengers are also his compatriots, Dan Brown and Mitch Robins, the champion in the inaugural Safeguard 5150 in 2013, and Slovakia’s Michal Bucek.

Dimity-Lee Duke, runner-up in last year’s edition, also intends to keep the female pro crown for Australia even after the retirement of Granger from pro racing.

Other competitors, though, think the absence of the multititled Granger just made  the women’s field an open race with New Zealand’s Amelia Rose Watkinson and Australian Michelle Duffield expected to come out strong.

The race fires off with an open-water swim at the Acea Beach, before the bike and run legs hit the punishing roads along Subic Bay.

This year’s edition also features the Sunrise Sprint run, or the S2 race, with a shorter 750m swim-20K bike-5K run distance.

“It is perfect for beginners wanting to immerse themselves into triathlon for the first time,” president Wilfred Uytengsu of organizer Sunrise said.  Jasmine W. Payo