Asian meet next up for crack Philippine triathletes

MANILA, Philippines — John Leerams “Rambo” Chicano will only have a short break before hitting the ground running anew early next year to prepare for even bigger races after his triumph in the just-concluded 30th SEA Games.

Fresh from a historic gold medal win in the biennial meet, the SEA Games triathlon king Chicano is to test his mettle against the continent’s finest triathletes in the 2020 Triathlon Asian Championship.

“We’ll start to train right off the bat after the New Year. That will be the highlight of the 2020 for me,” said Chicano who clinched two gold medals in the SEA Games earlier this month.

After finishing second to compatriot Nikko Huelgas two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, Chicano got over the hump when he ruled the men’s individual triathlon in hometown Subic, providing the spark in Team Phl’s haul of 149 golds in the meet.

The Olongapo native later anchored the Nationals including women’s triathlon queen Kim Mangrobang, Maria Claire Adorna and Fernando Casares in the mixed relay event of the swim-bike-run sport for his second gold.

In the Asian Championships, Chicano will be joined by Mangrobang together with individual triathlon silver medalists Kim Andrew Remolino and Kim Kilgroe in donning the national tri-colors against the continent’s toughest ironmen.

Organized by the Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC), the Triathlon Asian Championships will run from April 24-26 in Hatsukaichi, Japan.

Before the Asian tiff, the Philippine quartet gets a warm-up in the Subic National Age Group Triathlon organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines in January.