RP bet Pe Benito's hardwork pays off in Hong Kong triathlon
10/25/2009 | 10:10 PM
Johanna Pe Benito’s perseverance finally paid off after the 15-year-old won the bronze, her first medal in an international competition, in the recently concluded 2009 Hong Kong ITU Triathlon Premium Race Asian Cup in Hong Kong.
The race was Pe Benito’s second major event in junior elite triathlon class and a huge comeback after a disappointing finish in the Asian Triathlon Championship in Tongyeong, Korea last August 30.
Pe Benito was in fourth place after the swim leg of the race and slowly made her move in the run event to end up third behind a pair of Hong Kong triathletes with a total time of one hour, 19 minutes and 24 seconds.
“I’m very happy with my performance because it’s a dream come true for me to win a medal in an international tournament," said Pe Benito, a third year La Salle Zobel student who is a product of the Super Tri-Kids program of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).
“This would not have happened without the support of my family, coach Melvin Fausto and God," added the young triathlete, who has three victories on local soil including the Animo Sprint Triathlon race held last June.
Prior to this race, Pe Benito was coming off a disappointing campaign in Korea as she failed to finish after crashing in the bike leg of the race where he needed 15-stitches to close a wound on her chin.
The accident made her persevere more with her training.
Vincci Hui Wai Sum topped the race (1:10:34) while compatriot Chan On Ki took the silver (1:16:28).
Neil Catiil and Kim Mangrobang also saw action in the elite race and although both triathletes failed to win a medal, they managed to submit personal best time to prove they are indeed the country’s top future bets in triathlon.
Catiil, who won the Singapore Invitational Triathlon, finished seventh among Asian triathletes and 19th overall (2:01:34) while Mangrobang submitted a time of 2:17:04 to place ninth among the region’s best.
Tony Moulai (1:50:15) of France defeated Russian Dmitry Polyanski and former Asian champion Danylo Sapunov of Kazakhstan for the men’s title while Vendula Frintova (2:03:07) of the Czech Republic bested Ukraine’s Yuliya Sapunova and Michelle Wu of Australia in the female elite.
The next event for Catiil, Mangrobang and Pe Benito is the2009 Asian Duathlon Championships on November 15 at the Subic Bay. – GMANews.TV
The race was Pe Benito’s second major event in junior elite triathlon class and a huge comeback after a disappointing finish in the Asian Triathlon Championship in Tongyeong, Korea last August 30.
Pe Benito was in fourth place after the swim leg of the race and slowly made her move in the run event to end up third behind a pair of Hong Kong triathletes with a total time of one hour, 19 minutes and 24 seconds.
“I’m very happy with my performance because it’s a dream come true for me to win a medal in an international tournament," said Pe Benito, a third year La Salle Zobel student who is a product of the Super Tri-Kids program of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).
“This would not have happened without the support of my family, coach Melvin Fausto and God," added the young triathlete, who has three victories on local soil including the Animo Sprint Triathlon race held last June.
Prior to this race, Pe Benito was coming off a disappointing campaign in Korea as she failed to finish after crashing in the bike leg of the race where he needed 15-stitches to close a wound on her chin.
The accident made her persevere more with her training.
Vincci Hui Wai Sum topped the race (1:10:34) while compatriot Chan On Ki took the silver (1:16:28).
Neil Catiil and Kim Mangrobang also saw action in the elite race and although both triathletes failed to win a medal, they managed to submit personal best time to prove they are indeed the country’s top future bets in triathlon.
Catiil, who won the Singapore Invitational Triathlon, finished seventh among Asian triathletes and 19th overall (2:01:34) while Mangrobang submitted a time of 2:17:04 to place ninth among the region’s best.
Tony Moulai (1:50:15) of France defeated Russian Dmitry Polyanski and former Asian champion Danylo Sapunov of Kazakhstan for the men’s title while Vendula Frintova (2:03:07) of the Czech Republic bested Ukraine’s Yuliya Sapunova and Michelle Wu of Australia in the female elite.
The next event for Catiil, Mangrobang and Pe Benito is the2009 Asian Duathlon Championships on November 15 at the Subic Bay. – GMANews.TV
