Premier Championship Records 1859 Local & International Duathletes
4 November 2012, Putrajaya – Malakoff Corporation Berhad (Malakoff) today announced the winners of the Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships 2012. A total of 1859 duathletes from close to 30 countries competed for the top spots.
Sponsored for the 11th consecutive time by Malakoff, the prestigious endurance challenge is the only Asian qualifier for the annual Powerman World Championships in Zofingen, Switzerland. Formerly known as Powerman Malaysia, the event was upgraded this year by the International Powerman Association (IPA) to Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships, in recognition of the success the event has enjoyed over the decade.
At the event, Encik Habib Husin, Chief Operating Officer of Malakoff Corporation Berhad said, “Malakoff is an ardent supporter of sporting events, and we are indeed pleased that Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships is an integral part of Malakoff’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme – the Malakoff Community Partnerships.”
“The Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships is certainly in line with Malakoff’s objective to inculcate a healthy active lifestyle and foster a competitive spirit of sportsmanship among the community. As witnessed by all of us today, it is evident how sports drive an individual to achieve excellence regardless of our varied background and physical capabilities,” he added.
The inaugural Powerman Malaysia was organised in 2002 and saw the participation of 237 duathletes from ten countries. Over the years, the race has continued to gain momentum to be one of the leading Asian sporting events, attracting international participants from over 30 countries from as far as Australia, France, Singapore, UK and US.
The Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships 2012 involved a 11.4km run followed by a 64km bike finishing with a 11.4km run. It comprises of four main categories namely Powerman Elite Category, Powerman Age Group Category, Sprint Category and Team Relay Category. The individual races consisted of fourteen sub-categories : Men’s Elite and Women's Elite, Men's 20-29, Women's 20-29, Men's 30-39, Women's 30-39, Men's 40-44, Women's 40-44, Men's 45-49, Women's 45-49, Men's 50-59, Women's 50-59, Men's 60 & above and Women's 60 & above.
The Sprint Category was categorized into Men’s and Women’s categories, with a race distance of 5.7km Run-32km Bike-5.7km Run. Team Relay Category was conducted in two sub-categories of Men’s Relay and Mixed Relay, with race distance of 11.4km Run-64km Bike-11.4km Run.
Rob Woestenborghs from Belgium was elated to be crowned the champion of the Men’s Elite category for the second year in running. He said, “Winning the Championships title means a lot to me. Being the only Asian qualifier, I expected the bar to be set high and I was proven right. The course was tough and the competition was even tougher. I am pleased with what my hours of training have rewarded me.”
Meanwhile, winner of the Women’s Elite Category, Radka Vodickova from Czech Republic, who is a seasoned duathlete and also a defending champion from last year’s race said, “The race route this year at Putrajaya is definitely more challenging than the routes at Lumut. I am very happy and grateful for my win.”
Malaysia’s very own seasoned duathlete, Shahrom Abdullah, who has been qualified for Powerman Zofingen, Switzerland said, “Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships has been an extremely challenging race and it is a good training ground for what is to be expected in Powerman Zofingen.”
For the complete results of Malakoff Powerman Asian Duathlon Championships 2012, please log on to www.powerman.com.my
For more photographs click HERE.
Source: Official Press Release issued for Malakoff
No comments:
Post a Comment