Josh Ferris and Julie Derron claim victory at Ironman 70.3 Langkawi, overcoming brutal heat and a challenging course.
JOSH Ferris and Julie Derron conquered both the scorching heat and their competition to win the men’s and women’s professional categories at the Ironman 70.3 Langkawi.
Australian Ferris made his debut at the event look effortless by dominating the field and finishing in three hours, 46 minutes and 56 seconds.
He described the day as both good and hard, noting the extreme heat required constant water intake to stay cool.
Ferris highlighted the final 10 kilometres of the run at the airport as the most brutal and lonely part of the race.
He expressed overall happiness with his performance and confirmed his intention to return next year.
The professional category athletes completed a 1.9 kilometre swim, a 90 kilometre cycle, and a 21.1 kilometre run.
Dane Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen secured second place in the men’s category with a time of three hours, 50 minutes and 25 seconds.
Canadian Tyler Mislawchuk finished third in the men’s race, clocking three hours, 55 minutes and 30 seconds.
Switzerland’s Julie Derron ensured her last-minute debut was a successful one by winning the women’s title in four hours, 13 minutes and 52 seconds.
She expressed happiness with the win despite her short notice participation and recent recovery from a crash.
Derron noted the bike course featured challenging hills and the run was long and extremely hot around the airport.
She described the overall course as challenging but has no confirmed plans for next year’s Ironman Langkawi.
Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden finished as the women’s runner-up in four hours, 18 minutes and 11 seconds.
France’s Justine Guerard took third place in the women’s category with a time of four hours, 22 minutes and 17 seconds.
Shahrom Abdullah was the fastest Malaysian male finisher, completing the race in four hours, 42 minutes and 31 seconds.
Serena Yang was the quickest Malaysian woman, finishing in five hours, 33 minutes and 54 seconds.
Local media focused on the team ‘Fixcoaching X Smiling Buffalo Elite Pro’, which featured national athletes Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, Muhaizar Mohamad, and Mikhail Anas Ahmad Razali.
The trio, with Hafizh cycling, Muhaizar running, and Mikhail swimming, finished fifth in the group event in four hours, 34 minutes and 30 seconds. – Bernama
