Inaugural Ironman 70.3 Desaru Coast comes to a close 

KOTA TINGGI – After a gruelling 1.9km swim in the South China Sea, a 90km bike and a 21.1km run, Japan’s Kenshin Mizushima has pushed himself to his limit to be the first to pass the finish line at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Desaru Coast.

Starting just before sunrise, the 1,475 participants tried their hardest to vie for the 30 top spots that will qualify them for the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Finland, August 26 to 27 next year.  

After maintaining his composure throughout, Mizushima clinched the race with a time of 4h 18m 22s. 

“This was my personal best time for a Half Ironman, so I am really happy with my performance today.

“I expected it to be a tough course and it was, but I tried to save my energy during the swim and bike routes because I knew the run was going to be tough,” he said.  

The first Malaysian male contender to finish was Teh Kuok Yuen, who said even though he had done several Half Ironmans, this one has been the toughest one by far.  

He said that he was suffering from cramps during the final kilometres of the race, which cost him valuable time.  

“I was not sure if I could finish. But given the circumstances and how I pushed through, I feel happy with my result.” 

For the female category, Canada’s Elaine Young came in first overall with a time of 5h 18m 42s.  

Just minutes behind her, 2018 Commonwealth Games triathlete Serena Yang was the first Malaysian female participant to cross the line with a personal best time of 5h 28m 57s.

Trained by her husband and 2018 Asian Games triathlete Aldrian Yeo, she said the course was manageable but offered its fair share of difficulty.  

“It was nice but tough, the run course was the most difficult for me as it was hilly. But I am happy that I beat my target of sub-six hours,” she told reporters.  

Meanwhile, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi was at the Westin Hotel beach for the flag-off ceremony sending the participants on their long journey.  

“With preserved nature together with the infrastructure, this event shows that Johor is a suitable location to host international standard events,” he said on Facebook.  

Also present was Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. His children joined the Ironkids race on the first day of the Desaru Coast Multisport Festival.  

Yesterday, Hanoi SEA Games athletes Nigel Ng, Mayumi Shinozuka, and Chong Yoong Thiang finished first in their respective age categories during the 5150 Triathlon. – The Vibes, July 24, 2022.