PUTRAJAYA – Triathlete Isaac Tan got emotional during the men’s elite race at the Asia Triathlon Cup Putrajaya at the Watersports Complex here, today, after finishing as the best Malaysian in the field of 68 international athletes.
The 19-year-old’s time of 57m 59s sees him finish the race in 26th place, 5m 78s behind the winner Christopher Deegan of Australia.
His time is just 4 seconds off his best sprint finish of 57m 55s set at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Subic Bay last year.
“This was an emotional race for me as I had to push really hard for the finish.
“I did very well on the bike but during the run, my stomach didn’t feel good and I could only recover on the line.
“My goal this year is I want to be consistent with my time but I have to push the limit. Even with stomach cramps, I still have to push and pray to God that I can push on the run,” the teenager, who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), told reporters.
Meanwhile, Deegan is relieved to finish the season opener of the Asia Triathlon Cup series in first after struggling with the hot and humid conditions.
“It was never going to be easy because it’s hot and humid, but I executed every part of the race as well as I could.
“I was happy to lead the swim and settle in on the bike. You know, there was a good pack at the front of the bike leg, so you had to be careful with your positioning going into the second transition.
“And then I was able to just build through the run, which is the way I prefer to run, kind of gradually increase the pace, and I did enough,” he said.
The 28-year-old’s time of 53m 22s sees him finish first, in front of Fan Junjie of China (53m 22s) and Philip Pertl of Austria (54m 15s). – February 25, 2024