Atkinson dethrones Jacob to rule Ironman 70.3 Philippines

Courtney Atkinson of Australia spearheaded a day of upsets in the IronMan 70.3 Philippines international triathlon

Atkinson dethroned three-time IronMan Philippine champion Pete Jacobs to bag the male professional category in three hours, 58 minutes and seven seconds. Jacobs settled for second as he came a minute behind of his compatriot.

Also coming up with huge performances were Filipinos Banjo Norte and Alessandra Araullo-Gonzalez, who were named new  champions in the Filipino elite category.

Norte outpaced last year’s champion August Benedicto to rule the male Filipino elite with a time of 4:26:44. Benedicto settled for second with a time of 4:32:38.

Capping the top three was Cebuano John Philip Dueñas, who finished with a time of 4:33:18.

“I just kept my pace and did my best,” said Norte.

Benedicto struggled in the bike stage, where he suffered a mechanical problem. He said his bike’s shifter broke down in the km 45 mark. He had to borrow a policeman’s whistle to adjust and repair his shifter, which lopped off precious time.

‘I’ll be back’

He broke into tears during the post-race press conference. “ I really did my best but the situation was beyond my control,” he said. “I’ll be back stronger next year.”

Araullo-Gonzales, meanwhile, was crowned new champion in the female Filipino elite category as she finished the race in 5:05:33.

Last year’s champion, Monica Torres, competed in the pro elite category, leaving the door open for a new champion. Torres eventually finished fifth in the female pro category.

Araullo-Gonzales said she was proud of what she had conquered, especially since this was the last time she will be competing in a triathlon event. She has decided to focus on her personal life instead.

“I’m kind of sad but at least I proved to myself that I can finish first,” said Araullo-Gonzales.

Finishing second in the female Filipino elite was Jenny Rose Guerrero (5:20:02) while third placer was Ani Brown (5:22:43).

It was the same story, though, in the female pro side, with Switzerland’s Caroline Steffen successfully defending her title by clocking 4:16:12.

“This means a lot because it is not easy to defend a title. It is always easier to get a win,” Steffen said.

The division actually saw no changes as last year’s second placer Bree Wee finished at the same spot at second while Belinda Granger once again salvaged third place. Wee of the US had a time of 4:27:29 while Granger, also of Australia, finished in 4:33:50.

Challenge

Atkinson, who was competing in the Philippine half IronMan for the first time, led for most part of the race until he got challenged by Jacobs in the run segment.

He finished the 1.9-kilometer swim way ahead of the rest and continued to stay clear of Jacobs in the  90km bike ride. Jacobs started to catch up a little in the 21km run but Atkinson held on to win by a minute.

Jacobs said he was the last one to leave the transition stage, but got into the run segment—his favorite—in  rhythm. This is where he sliced Atkinson’s lead but he ran out of steam in the final stages of the leg.

“I really tried but I just couldn’t do it,” said Jacobs. “I’m still happy because I did not have a good race but I still placed second,” said Jacobs, who said he did not feel good in the bike leg.

Jacobs had the fastest time in the run leg, clocking 1:15:37. Atkinson finished in 1:18:41.

The third and fourth places were occupied by David Dellow, a two-time Olympian, and Chris McCormack, a two-time Kona World Champion, respectively.

Dellow crossed the finish line with a time of 4:02:22 while McCormack, who was struggling in the run, clocked 4:03:15. /Mars G. Alison and Dale Rosal, Correspondents