COUPLE GOALS AS NEWLYWEDS JOSH &
ASHLEIGH SEAL IRONMAN 70.3 ASIA-PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
· More
than 1,400 triathletes participated in the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific
Championship & 2023 IRONMAN MALAYSIA
· Participants
from 60 countries make this spectacle a grand success in Langkawi island
LANGKAWI, OCTOBER 7: Newly married couple
Josh Amberger and Ashleigh Gentle earned themselves a fairytale finish after
they were crowned the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship (APAC) male
and female winners champions in a competitive field.
It was a day that will live long in memory
for Langkawi Island and Malaysia, with the country hosting its maiden IRONMAN
70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship supported by the Malaysia Convention &
Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) since IRONMAN first stamped its footprints here some
23-years ago.
This year’s edition was even more
significant with the return of the professional triathletes, some four years
since 2012 Olympic silver medallist Javier Gomez shattered the IRONMAN Malaysia
course record.
On Saturday, it was Amberger who hogged
the limelight in the men’s category after turning in a majestic performance to
finish the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21km run course with a time of 3:50:47
under testing conditions on Saturday.
The Australian led the swim at the Danna
Langkawi and kept his lead his advantage intact for large parts of the 90km
bike course through the hilly and winding course terrain which took the
participants through the Langkawi Falls and the coastline of Pantai Kok.
The 34-year-old later saw his lead dissipate
as fellow compatriots Mike Phillips and Kurt Mcdonald swapped places at the
top, before regaining his advantage in the final stretch of the run as he made
his way his through Cenang beach to the Pelangi Beach Resort
finish line to seal victory.
“I
built into the run but didn’t take the lead until the final 11 or 12
kilometres. When I got it, I just wanted to push the advantage to seal the
deal. It’s an amazing feeling to win the IRONMAN 70.3 APAC Championship in
Langkawi. I’m super happy to win it,” said the 11-times IRONMAN 70.3
Champion, who also captured his second IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship.
In
this multisport event where women are on equal footing as the men, Amberger’s
wife Gentle completed a magnificent day for their household as she finished
champion with a time of 4:10:17, almost six minutes ahead of her closest
competitor.
Gentle
saved her best for the final leg of the course when she completed the run
course in less than 80 minutes.
The
two-time Olympian, who was greeted with a hug and kiss from her husband, hailed
him as a bedrock to her success.
“The
highlight for me was seeing Josh win. He has helped me so much in my career and
to see him have this success makes me happy. We got married last year, but we
have been out on the triathlon circuit for over a decade and shared some great
experiences together. To be able to come here and take two titles to one
household feels pretty good,” she said.
Besides
a total prize purse of $75,000 (RM RM354, 562) and bragging rights, the top
competitors were also vying for qualification to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3
World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand .
Meanwhile,
Teh Kuok Yen and Esther Joy Chen Hong Li did Malaysia proud by finishing the
race as the fastest overall IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi age-groupers.
Kuok
Yen clocked 4:32:13 to become the fastest Malaysian Male, while national
triathlete Esther Joy Chen finished with 5:07:39 to become the quickest local
female competitor.
Jeff
Edwards, the Managing Director of IRONMAN Asia said this year’s edition set a
successful milestone for this series in the region.
“The
good number of participants for the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship and
IRONMAN Malaysia continues to showcase the value and potential that Langkawi
Island brings to this event. We saw how every athlete, both amateur and
professional give their best, and what made it more compelling was the fact
there were so many locals cheering them at the finish line. We foresee that the
IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi & IRONMAN MALAYSIA will continue to be a signature
event in the Asian region for many years to come,” he said.
CG
Lim, the Regional Director for IRONMAN Asia said the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific
Championship could open more opportunities for the island community moving
forward.
“The
local communities and authorities remain one of the key pillars to our success,
and again their dedication to ensure everything ran smoothly was of the highest
order. We could see a bigger participation next year due to this, and that will
create more economic opportunities for the local community which would be
deserving of their efforts,” he said.
While
IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi saw athletes compete over a 1.9km swim, 90km ride and
21.1km run those taking on IRONMAN Malaysia took part in a 3.8km swim, 180km
ride and 42.2km run, with all crossing the famous IRONMAN finish line.
Besides
the 40 qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship,
there were also 70 qualifying slots available for the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN
World Championships.
This
includes 20 qualifying slots for the male triathletes at the World
Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii while the female athletes will receive 50
qualifying slots for their world meet at Nice, France.
As
mentioned by CG, the local community contributed immensely to the success of
this event through almost 2,000 volunteers.
The
Langkawians played their part in every way possible, from their much needed
help at the aid
stations along the bike course to turning on their vehicle headlights
as the field made their way along the Langkawi International Airport.
Langkawi
island continues to attract millions of tourists every year, and it was the
same for this IRONMAN events as participants brought their friends and families
to enjoy the beautiful beaches, the sumptuous delicacies and vibrant nightlife.
|
2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific
Championship Langkawi – Pro Male |
||||
|
Position |
Given
name |
Family
name |
Country |
Finish
time |
|
1 |
Josh |
Amberger |
Australia |
3:50:47 |
|
2 |
Mike |
Phillips |
Australia |
3:52:23 |
|
3 |
Kurt |
McDonald |
Australia |
3:54.33 |
|
2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific
Championship Langkawi – Pro Female |
||||
|
Position |
Given
name |
Family
name |
Country |
Finish
time |
|
1 |
Ashleigh |
Gentle |
Australia |
4:10:17 |
|
2 |
Amelia |
Watkinson |
Australia |
4:16:05 |
|
3 |
Lottie |
Lucas |
UAE |
4:20:59 |
|
2023 IRONMAN Malaysia - Best Overall Age
Grouper |
||||
|
Given
name |
Family
name |
Gender |
Country |
Finish
time |
|
|
|
Male |
|
Pending finish |
|
|
|
Female |
|
Pending finish |
|
2023 IRONMAN Malaysia - Best Malaysian |
||||
|
Given
name |
Family
name |
Gender |
Country |
Finish
time |
|
|
|
Male |
|
Pending finish |
|
|
|
Female |
|
Pending finish |
|
2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi - Best
Overall Age Grouper |
||||
|
Given
name |
Family
name |
Gender |
Country |
Finish
time |
|
Kuok Yen |
Teh |
Male |
Malaysia |
4:32:13 |
|
Esther Joy Hong Li |
Chen |
Female |
Malaysia |
5:07:39 |
About 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship & IRONMAN Malaysia
Date : 7 October 2023
Venue : Langkawi, Malaysia
About Langkawi :
Located within a cluster of tropical
islands that attract visitors the world over, the race will take athletes on a
truly Malaysian cultural journey through tropical, hilly and demanding terrain
passing traditional kampungs (villages), mangrove clusters and rainforest
vistas.
IRONMAN Malaysia has been accorded with :
1. ATHLETE
CHOICE AWARDS - IRONMAN
· Overall
Swim Experience (2018)
· Best
Post-race Celebration (2018, 2017, 2016)
· Will
Attend Next Year (2018, 2017, 2016)
2. 2018
Best Triathlon Races in Asia Awards by AsiaTri.com
The Event Experience :
IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship,
Langkawi (Half Distance) – Swim 1.9km, Bike 90km, Run 21.1km
The ocean swim starts from the picturesque
white sandy beach of Pantai Kok with a triangle out and back course.
The one loop bike course heads out of
Pantai Kok towards Jalan Teluk Yu on a clockwise loop from the Northwest point
of the island around the rolling hills of Datai towards the southeastern part
of the island. Passing through several local villages ‘Kampungs’, athletes will
get a true taste of the colourful sights and sounds and local communities of
the island. The aid stations along the bike course are all supported by the
local communities in Langkawi.Athletes will enjoy the local wildlife and
winding terrain, passing The Langkawi Falls on route to the Datai turnaround.
The run course will showcase the best
Malaysia has to offer as athletes pass through the scenic ocean front of Cenang
Beach. Athletes will run along the side of the Langkawi International Airport
runway. The tropical flat run course brings athletes into the beach front of
Pelangi Beach Resort and Spa to finish.
IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Qualifying
Race - There are 40 qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World
Championship in Taupo, New Zealand on 14-15 December 2024.
IRONMAN Malaysia (Full Distance) - Swim
3.8km, Bike 180km, Run 42.2km
The ocean swim starts from the picturesque
white sandy beach of Pantai Kok with a two-loop triangle out and back course.
The two-loop bike course heads out of
Pantai Kok towards Jalan Teluk Yu on a clockwise loop from the Northwest point
of the island around the rolling hills of Datai towards the southeastern part
of the island. Passing through several local villages ‘Kampungs’, athletes will
get a true taste of the colourful sights and sounds and local communities of
the island. The aid stations along the bike course are all supported by the
local communities in Langkawi.Athletes will enjoy the local wildlife and
winding terrain, passing The Langkawi Falls on route to the Datai turnaround.
At the end of the 2nd loop, athletes will continue along the coastline of Pantai
Kok heading towards Transition (T2).
The run course will showcase the best
Malaysia has to offer as athletes pass through the scenic ocean front of Cenang
Beach. Athletes will run along the side of the Langkawi International Airport
runway. The tropical flat run course brings athletes into the beach front of
Pelangi Beach Resort and Spa for their 2 lap run.
IRONMAN World Championship Qualifying Race
- There are 70 qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship
in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (20 slots for Men) on 26 October 2024 and in Nice,
France (50 slots for Women) on 22 September 2024.
About The IRONMAN
Group
The
IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series,
the IRONMAN® 70.3®Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock
‘n’ Roll® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon
Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered
Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf®, UTMB® World Series events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail
Australia™, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events
including Haute Route®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com
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