Olympic Triathlon Trio Spearhead ATC Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Olympians Max Struder of Switzerland, Jason Ng of Hong Kong and Barbaros Riveros of Chile are among the notable names for the Asia Triathlon Cup (ATC) at the Kompleks Sukan Air Putrajaya this weekend.

The ATC Putrajaya, part of the 18-event Continental Cup series in 2025, will see the trio compete in the field of 119 elite triathletes from 20 countries. The race is to be contested in Sprint distance, featuring a 750m swim, 20km cycling and a 5km run.

The country’s top men’s and women’s triathletes, Isaac Tan and Esther Joy Chen, are set to lead the local challenge in the second edition of the ATC Putrajaya, which has attracted over 1,000 athletes in various age groups.

Apart from challenging their international rivals, the Malaysian triathletes are expected to engage in an exciting local battle since the ATC Putrajaya is doubling as the national championships and a key qualifying event for the Thailand SEA Games in December.

Malaysia Triathlon president Tony Tan said that being the first race for 2025 in the Southeast Asian region, ATC Putrajaya holds added significance ahead of this year’s SEA Games and the Asian Youth Games to be held in Bahrain in October.

“Many countries, including Malaysia, are using this event as part of their athlete selection and qualification process. As such, this race also serves as the Malaysia National Championships. This event plays a crucial role in the development and exposure of youth athletes in the region.

“For a long time, our (Malaysian) young athletes have had limited opportunities to compete against their peers. Malaysia Triathlon is proud to witness the continued growth of multi-sports in the country,” he said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA

TAGS: Asia Triathlon Cup, triathlon, SEA Games, Olympians

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