Well done Kimbely Yap!!!!
Got news from Azwar that she jsut won GOLD in the SEA Game. She has placed Malaysia on the World Map of Triathlon. And just like Azwar would say : Singapore, EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!!
I'll now worship the lake/sea you swam in, the road you pedal on and the track you run in....
Men's event is tomorrow. Lets hope this Loh guy create anohter Gold for us, to justify us skeptics out here.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES
Malaysia wins gold, RP gets silver in women's triathlon
First posted 01:30pm (Mla time) Dec 01, 2005
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT -- Filipina Alessandra Araullo found Malaysian Kimberly Yap Fui-Li faster than she expected and settled for the silver in the female triathlon games Thursday here in Subic at the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.
Araullo outclassed Li in cycling and running, but failed to beat the 20-year-old former swimmer-turned-triathlete from Sarawak in swimming, beating the Filipina by around three minutes for the gold.
Li was a member of the swimming team that won the bronze in the 2001 SEA Games in Malaysia. Her dominance in her favorite event propelled her to victory despite losing to the 24-year-old Filipino from Guagua town, Pampanga province in cycling and running.
Li collected a total time aggregate of 2:14.39.60 and made history as the first woman triathlon champion in the 11-nation biennial meet. This was the first time that Triathlon was featured in the SEA Games.
Li beat Araullo by more than one minute. The Filipina clocked 2:15:59.87 to settle for the silver, followed by Ng Xinyi Alisa of Singapore, who took the bronze in 2:21:57.49.
"I did not give up swimming. I have instead added new interest in cycling and running," said Li.
The Malaysian's victory was an outstanding feat because she had beaten the well-experienced Araullo, a veteran of six Asian triathlon championships and a competitor in tournaments in Australia and New Zealand. She also trained for three months with other triathletes in Australia.
Li, who saw action in the 1999 Brunei and 2001 Malaysia SEA Games, swam the 1.5-kilometer stretch in 0:19.:04.02, negotiated the 40-k cycling event in 1:10:36.89, and ran the 10-k event in 0:44:58.69.
"I'm happy I won the gold for my country. I feel good today even though I'm pushing all the way," said Li, the fifth of six children of a local boat manager and a nurse.
"This win is for my country, my parents, and my association. Without them I could have not achieved this. I'm really happy. I couldn't ask for more. I will return with a gold medal, which I can now proudly show to my countrymen," said Li who suffered from a recurring left sheen spleen injury four weeks ago.
Meanwhile, a small tactical error in the cycling field cost Araullo her shot at the gold medal. She and teammate Ani Karina de Leon had set their eyes on a Thai athlete and failed to notice the Malaysian who by then had sprinted away.
"Ani and I were trying to guard our positions from the Thailand athlete but before we knew it Kimberly Li went way past us," said Araullo after crossing the finish line.
Senator Pia Cayetano, who was in Subic to watch the Triathlon lauded Araullo and De Leon's effort, stressing that they did their best.
"She [Araullo] did her best, but the Malaysian runner was too strong," said Cayetano, known in runners' circles as a duathlon athlete.
Ani Karina de Leon placed fourth in 2:25:17.41, 11 minutes behind the winner. She suffered cramps on both legs and had to be carried.
"We lost. No question about that. But we won the gold in terms of organization," said Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco Jr. who personally supervised the event with the help of Olongapo Vice Mayor Rolen Paulino.
Songsiri Phocharoen of Thailand checked in fifth in 2:25:40.16, followed by Chan Mei Xian Elaine of Singapore in 2:29:28.36.
Noel Salvador and Arlan Macasieb will have a crack at the gold when they see action in the men's division set for Friday morning.
Anthony Deleon, INQ7.net contributor
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