Fiona, Razani set for Hawaii

25/02/2003

MALAYSIAN Ironman Dr Fiona Lim and Mohamed Razani Husain swam, cycled and
ran the race of their lives in the Ironman Langkawi Malaysia on Sunday to
qualify for the World Ironman Championships in Hawaii, Kona, in October.
While Fiona had raced in Hawaii in 2001, Razani, who will be making his
debut in the World Championships, is still in two minds about the offer.
"I also finished first among the Malaysians in the 2002 Langkawi Ironman
and was given a slot in Hawaii, but I could not find enough sponsors to
take part. This year, I am in discussion with Tenaga Nasional Bhd, and
hopefully, I will seal an agreement and have enough money to take part in
the World Championships," said Razani.
Fiona, a dentist based in Kota Kinabalu, is only five feet tall and one
will not notice her on the street, but inside, she is made of steel.
"I was never involved in sports during my schooling years and dedicated
my time to studies. It was the same in medical college. But when I turned
27, I had a sudden urge to test my endurance level and I started taking
part in mountain biking and swimming.
In the end, I decided to test my limit and tried the Langkawi Ironman
for the first time in 2001 and was the best Malaysian woman finisher.
After that, I just got hooked to the sport and yesterday (Sunday) was
the third time I finished first among the Malaysian women and it's very
satisfying, said Fiona, 33, and still single.
Fiona clocked 12:26:12 while Razani had a time of 10:37:29. The best
Malaysian finisher in the professional category was Sharom Abdullah who
clocked 11:28:21. In the 25-29 age-group category, Malaysian Jasmi Sarael
received the ticket to Hawaii with his time of 10:48:08.
All four Malaysians are considered to have reached a milestone because
the world champion, Luc van Lierde, described Langkawi as the Toughest
Ironman course in the World.
(END)