French, Polish reign as Ironman championship

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines — Frenchman Bastien Poupelain and Poland’s Agnieszka Najnigier-Pierzynowska emerged as the champions of the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa yesterday, showcasing impressive endurance and strategy in grueling conditions.

Poupelain relied on his swim and bike strengths to build a significant lead before securing victory in the demanding race, which featured a 1.9km open-water swim, a fast-paced 90km bike course, and a 21km run. He finished with an impressive time of 04:24:19 to clinch the men’s overall championship.

Starting strong, Poupelain trailed Japan’s Ryosuke Ohata in the swim leg with a time of 00:29:10 but surged ahead in the bike stage, posting the best time of 02:15:32. Despite clocking 01:34:36 in the run, he held on to victory.

Japan’s Hidekazu Takahashi mounted a late comeback with a 01:32:26 run split but fell short by two minutes, finishing in 04:26:26 (00:29:52 swim, 02:18:05 bike).

Veteran Czech triathlete and former full IRONMAN winner Petr Lukosz secured third place in 04:34:45 (00:31:11 swim, 02:18:58 bike, 01:38:11 run).

Meanwhile, Najnigier-Pierzynowska saved her best for last in the women’s division, bucking the heat to deliver a strong finishing kick and claim victory with a time of 05:33:32. She recorded a modest 00:40:33 in the swim and 02:52:32 in the bike, but her stellar 01:52:13 run split underscored her endurance and race strategy.