By Balqis Jazimah Zahari
Photo MDKpr
KAMPAR: Isaac Tan and Teo Sze Hui were crowned National Junior Male and Female Champions respectively, after emerging as Malaysia’s fastest racers at the Asia Triathlon Junior Cup Kampar 2024, which was held recently at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) here.
The three-day event, starting on July 11, saw the participation of 72 participants from 12 countries.
Isaac, 19, placed himself in the top 20, finishing 19th out of 72 participants.
He completed the race, which included a 750m swim, a 20km bike ride, and a 5km run, in 1 hour and 55 seconds (1:00:55).
Meanwhile, in the women’s event, Sze Hui managed to secure a top 10 finish, completing the same routine in 1:11:53.
Isaac said he was happy to maintain his status as the country’s top racer.
“This is my first junior championship and my third national title overall.
“Previously, I became the national champion in Kota Kinabalu last year and in Putrajaya this February,” he said.
According to him, this race was not ideal as he was still trying to adjust to a newly modified training programme.
“I am preparing for the Asian Championships in Saudi Arabia this December, and hopefully, my performance will improve in the coming months,” he said.
As for Sze Hui, she felt very satisfied to return to winning form after an injury forced her to rest for six months.
“Of course, I am happy; this is my first competitive race in six months after being involved in a cycling accident and suffering a fracture,” she said.
Sze Hui added that this result is important as she aims to represent the country at the SEA Games next year.
“I will try to compete to place myself among the top racers; there are several senior athletes I need to overcome.
“Due to age limits, some of them couldn’t compete this time,” she said.
Meanwhile, the excitement of the Asia Triathlon Junior Cup 2024 was evident as several side events were also held.
Also taking place was the Asia Open Group triathlon race and a 5 km ‘Glow Night’ fun run.
This resulted in a total participation of more than 1,000 people over the two days.
This event was co-organised by the Perak Triathlon Association and XS Elite Performance, with the support of the Perak State Government, Kampar District Council, Ministry of Education Malaysia, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
