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Posted 29th May 2013, by admin, and filed under Hotel & Accommodation in Phuket, News Update, Phuket E-Magazine, Sport Event
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Two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion Michael Raelert lit up a rain-hit Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship in Phuket with a blazing performance that slashed eight minutes off the course record and saw him finish five minutes ahead of nearest rivals, Australians Richie Cunningham and Paul Matthews, to claim the US$12,000 top pro prize. He made his record time of 03:51:36 despite the downpours on an unseasonable overcast day on the holiday island that played havoc on the bike course and brought heartbreak for hotly-tipped Ironman bike specialist Chris Lieto of the USA, who was forced to retire after crashing just 20k into the tough 90k ride. Raelert, making his first appearance in Phuket, was keen to end his season on a high note after injuries earlier this year forced him to abandon the defence of his Ironman 70.3 World Championship title at Las Vegas in September. He was among a field of 34 male and female international pro athletes and more than 1,000 age groupers competing the 1.9k swim, 90k bike and 21.1k run course for a slice of a US$75,000 pro purse and championship points, as well as coveted age group slots for the 2012 Ironman 70.3 and Ironman World Championships. Raelert won with a swim time of 00:23:24; bike of 02:14:17 and run of 01:11:15. Cunningham, Laguna Phuket Triathlon champion in 2008, was runner-up on 03:57:16 with a swim time of 00:23:55, bike of 02:14:07 and run of 01:16:44; and Matthews finished on 03:58:24 with a swim time of 00:23:39, bike of 02:14:14 and run of 01:18:02. In the women’s pro field, Melissa Rollison of Australia, reigning Ironman 70.3 world champion and last year’s Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship runner-up, cruised to an emphatic victory and claimed the US$12,000 top prize in 04:17:01, a massive 13 minutes ahead of Switzerland’s Natascha Badmann on 04:30:42. They were joined in third place by last week’s Laguna Phuket Triathlon women’s champion Radka Vodickova of the Czech Republic, who shrugged off a knee injury sustained a few days earlier in a bike accident with a gutsy run in her first-ever Ironman 70.3 that saw her surge through the field to finish on 04:34:50, dashing the podium hopes of rising UK star Emma-Kate Lidbury.
Rollison won with a swim time of 00:27:32; bike of 02:36:29 and run of 01:19:44; Badmann was runner-up with a swim time of 00:30:00; bike of 02:26:01 and run of 01:30:57; and Vodickova finished with a swim time of 00:26:13, bike of 02:39:04 and run of 01:26:26. Raelert was a commanding presence early in the race, overtaking swim leader Daniel Halksworth of the UK on the water exit to join the leading bike pack of Lieto, Cunningham, Matthews, Matt Reed of the USA and Jason McHugh of Australia. After Lieto crashed out he was content to stay among the pack as the skies darkened and rain poured down, but at the run transition – with weather conditions more favourable for runners - he took the lead, stretching it to more than two minutes at the half-way point of the two-loop course. “The conditions out on the bike course were incredible, it was dark with torrential rain,” Raelert said. “We had to slow down, but that meant I could relax a bit and prepare for the run. “This is just a fantastic event. Even when the rain was coming down the people were still lining the roads cheering us on. It really encouraged all of us. “After the setbacks of this season it’s great to end on a high note with a good win and I’m sure this will be a springboard for my next season.” It was a disappointing day for three-time Laguna Phuket Triathlon champion and crowd favourite Massimo Cigana. The Italian, who won his third LPT title last weekend and was bidding to follow-up his runner-up place in last year’s Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, finished sixth in 04:01:54. But it was a good day for Australia, with five Australians among the top eight men’s prize positions and three in the women’s top eight, including winner Melissa Rollison. Top Thai male finisher was the country’s fast-rising triathlete star Jaray Jearanai of Phuket, in a personal best of 04:38:38 on his home course, with a swim time of 00:32:57, bike of 02:30:36 and run of 01:31:13. Top Thai female was Nampetch Porntharukcharoen in 06:22:28, with a swim time of 00:45:09, bike of 03:18:24 and run of 02:09:55. The day was also a triumph for the oldest competitor, 79 years-old Hiromu Inada of Japan, who finished in 06:42:01 with a swim time of 00:45:41, bike of 03:30:30 and run of 02:15:26.
Results
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Women
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Posted 28th November 2011, by admin, and filed under Event Update, News Update, Phuket E-Magazine, Sport Event
Cigana First Three-Time Champion at Laguna Phuket Triathlon Italy’s Massimo Cigana carved his name into the history books of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon with a hard-fought victory in sweltering conditions to become the first three-time champion in the annual event’s 18-year history. Cigana – champion last year and in 2008 – completed the gruelling course in 2:32:51, four minutes ahead of fellow Italian Alberto Cassadei. The impressive Cassadei led the pack out of the swim course, with Cigana trailing further down the field. But bike specialist Cigana overhauled him early in the bike course then stretched his lead on the run, finishing nearly three minutes faster than his winning time last year, with a swim of 00:27:43; bike of 01:18:46; and run of 00:43:54. Cassedei followed him home in 2:36:56, and in third place was Romain Guillaume of France in 2:37:08. The top male amateur was Todd Spackman of Australia in fifth place in 2:43:42. The win is a morale-booster for Cigana ahead of next weekend’s Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Laguna Phuket, when he will be aiming to best his second place finish last year. “It was definitely a great motivator today to be going for a third victory on this course,” said Cigana. “This is my ideal race and I love the conditions here. The competition was very strong and it was a hard race – I’m very happy to have won today but also to have become the first three-time champion here in Phuket.” In the women’s field Radka Vodickova of the Czech Republic was too strong for two-time Laguna champion Australian Belinda Granger, who was seeking to emulate Cigana’s achievement with another victory to become a three-time champion.
Granger kept pace with Vodickova in the swim and in the early stages of the bike course before the younger Czech – 2009 Laguna champion and a member of her country’s Olympic team – pulled away to build a winning lead that stretched to more than three minutes at the finish. Vodickova won in 2:54:18 with a swim of 00:27:06; bike of 01:35:15; and run of 00:49:15. Granger finished in 2:57:33 followed by third-placed Katja Rabe of Germany in 2:59:17. Amateur Cindi Bannick of the USA had a race to remember, snatching fourth place and top amateur position in the women’s field with a time of 3:00:15 – just one second ahead of Italian professional Edith Niederfriniger. Jaray Jearani of Phuket – the first Thai to compete at both the Ironman 70.3 and Ironman World Championships – was the first Thai finisher in 2:59:38 and 28th overall. First female Thai was Nampetch Porntharukchairoen in 3:57:37.
The race also saw a personal triumph for Laguna Phuket Golf Club director Tim Haddon, six months into a personal mission to overcome health issues, lose weight and train for his first-ever triathlon. Tim crossed the finish line in a time of 5:28:22 to the cheers of family, colleagues and friends. He completed the course with a swim of 0:50:14; bike of 2:35:16 and run of 1:51:04. This year’s Laguna Phuket Triathlon was the biggest-ever in the event’s 18 year history, with more than 1,000 athletes representing over 40 countries competing on the picturesque course. Results
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Women
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Phuket International Soccer 7S You are welcome at the captains briefing on the Friday 25 Nov. at Patong Resort ballroom 7pm (you can park your car at the hotel, just stamp your ticket at the lobby), then we will have the welcome party at Soi Crocodile in Bang-la road (5mn walking from Patong Resort) with free BBQ for all teams. |
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Close racing brings the 2011 Phuket Dinghy Series to an exciting end The final weekend of the three-event Phuket Dinghy Series organised by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was held off Panwa on Phuket’s East Coast recently. Twenty-six Optimists and five Lasers competed in the two-day event held 19 and 20 November – the decider in the Series. Six races over the two days meant plenty of points were still available and places could be lost or gained in the overall series. The pre-race briefing, given by Phuket Dinghy Series Event Manager Commander Pornprom Sakultem of the Royal Thai Navy, outlined the sailing area, courses and discussed tactics. A feature of all events in the Series, the training sessions provided a unique opportunity for the young sailors to learn more about competitive sailing, share their experiences and develop sailing skills further. On Day 1 of Series III, the sailors were greeted with a light onshore breeze. The course was set offshore, where the wind was stronger, with the surrounding southern Islands as a backdrop. Battle lines were drawn and the competition resumed between Series leader and 2010 winner Sattahip-native Anapat Ngarmdee, and Phuket-native, Akapoj Kankaew, representing the Phuket Youth Sailing Club. A congested startline saw Anapat away and around the course to take wins in the first two races of the day, with Akapoj close on his heels posting two seconds. In the last race of the day, Akapoj posted a first closing the gap on Anapat who finished fifth. Day 2 looked to be more of the same, but Anapat stepped up a gear and took three wins from three to take the Series III title with a resounding finish. Akapoj posted a third and two seconds to finish second overall with Terrapong Tokratoak in third. Close racing in the Laser Class saw places swapped throughout the weekend with Jittawat Boonrat finally coming out on top posting four wins out of six to take the Series III title. Inconsistency let Chut Dawruang down but after a tough battle Chut took second in Series III from Marco Garambois in third. The 2011 Phuket Dinghy Series saw 39 boats compete overall. Eighteen races in three different locations, pre-regatta training and post-event debriefs gave participants a unique experience that has become the signature of the Phuket Dinghy Series. Winners of Series III were presented with trophies by Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, Commander Third Naval Area Command. The overall series winners will receive their trophies at the Royal Awards of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta on Saturday 10th December at Kata Beach Resort & Spa.
Series III Results Laser Class Overall Phuket Dinghy Series Results Laser Class For detailed results, visit http://www.kingscup.com/results.cfm. The Phuket Dinghy Series was established by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta in 2010 to promote and encourage sailing in Thailand by involving young people in the sport. The 2011 Series took place over three weekends in successive months (September 17-18, October 15-16 and November 19-20) and was supported by the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket. Sponsors of the 2011 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta include Kata Group Resorts Thailand, PTT Group, PTT Global Chemical, PTTEP, Siam Winery, AIA Thailand, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, Boathouse and Sunsail. Media Partners include 91.5FM, Helm Superyacht Asia Pacific, The Nation, Phuket Best Group, Phuket Gazette, Phuket Magazine, Sail-World.com, SEA Yachting and YachtStyle Asia. For more information visit www.kingscup.com. |
