TOP THREE. Australian Samuel Mileham (center) is crowned men's elite champion of the 2023 Asia Triathlon Duathlon Championships at New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac on Sunday (Nov. 26, 2023). With him on the podium are silver medalist Moussa Karich of Bahrain (left) and bronze medalist Matt Smith of Australia. (PNA photo by Jean Malanum)
CAPAS, Tarlac – Australian Samuel Mileham topped the men's elite category of the 2023 Asia Triathlon Duathlon Championships at New Clark City Sports Complex here Sunday.
The 25-year-old native of Perth finished the 10K (run)-40K (bike)-5K (run) race in 1 hour, 53 minutes and 7 seconds.
"I'm lucky to be given the opportunity to join this competition and I'm happy I won," said the 6-foot-1 Mileham, who finished second behind Uzbekistan's Ayan Beisenbayev during the 2022 edition of the tournament in Bahrain.
Bahrain's Moussa Karich settled for the silver medal with a time of 1:54:49, improving on his fourth-place finish last year.
"This is my first tournament after my injury so I'm satisfied with my performance," Karich said, referring to her previous back problem.
Mileham and Karich are setting their sights on the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championship scheduled Aug. 15 to 25 in Townsville, a coastal city in northeastern Queensland, Australia.
"Yes, it would be nice to win again," Mileham, a duathlete for 13 years now, said.
Mileham's teammate, Matt Smith, grabbed the bronze medal in 1:55:19.
Cambodian Mickael Chaumond (1:55:37) and Japanese Fumiya Tanaka (1:55:47), ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
Philippine team members Raymund Torio and John Chicano also made it to the top 10 of the tournament organized by the Triathlon Philippines (TriPhil) headed by Ramon Marchan.
Torio (1:56:05) placed sixth, while the two-time Southeast Asian Games champion Chicano (1:56:46) was 10th among 22 entries.
"I'm glad because God gave me the chance to be the No. 1 Filipino finisher in this race," said the 35-year-old Torio, who was born and raised in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Seyed Mohammad Hosseini (Iran) clocked 1:56:30 for seventh place, Saud Alzaabi (United Arab Emirates) was eighth in 1:56:36, and Edward Langdon (Australia) ninth in 1:56:37.
Meanwhile, the Philippines had a 1-2 finish in the women's elite category.
Erika Burgos bagged the gold medal in 2:17:48 while Merry Joy Trupa took the silver in 2:18:55.
Indonesians Maharani Azhri Wahyuningtyas (2:21:30), Zahra Bulan (2:23:28), and Eva Desiana (2:24:25) placed third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Iranian Hadis Nasr Azadani (2:36:48) was sixth and Filipino Bea Quiambao (2:40:04) was seventh. (PNA)
