`Birthday boy' Rhodes gets the biggest cake

29/01/2001

"HELLO! I won mom! yes, I led from the start to finish for my first Iroman
title...what? Yes, It was a great birthday gift for me, mom."
The first thing that Kiwi, Bryan Rhodes, who turned 28 yesterday, did
after winning the Ironman Malaysia Triathlon in Langkawi was call his
mother back home in Wellington because nobody from his family came to
Malaysia to watch him run.
On the other end of the line, mom Wilma was choked with emotion and
could not stop crying for joy: "My mother is my "rock", my pillar of
strenght and I dedicate the race to her," said Bryan.
His joy is understandable because in his 13 years of taking part in the
triathlon, only the land of legendary Mahsuri was kind enough to let him
win eventhough world's best Lothar Leder was hot on his heels the entire
race.
How did he hear about the Langkwai Ironman?
"Well I was reading a magazine and the Ironman advertisement caught my
fancy because the race day coincided with my birthday, even then I had a
lucky feeling in me.
"I came to langkawi to preparre for the World Ironman championships in
Kona, Hawaii but when I heard that Leder had also registered for the
event, my heart sank a little. But today (yesterday) was my 28th birthday
and there was no way that I was going to let anyone else steal the cake
from me."
Rhodes was first out of the water in 48 minutes 45 seconds and from
there onwards he knew that he had it in him to win the race.
"The water was stifling hot and the only thing that kept me going was
that it was my birthday. The only doubt that I had about losing out to
Leder was during the cycling event around the 21km point when my wheel
became loose, I lost some time tightening the wheels but after that it was
smooth sailing for me.
"But the eight water/food points could do with a little bit of sprucing
up because they either did not undersand what we signalled for or the
volunteers there kept getting in my way when I went in for supplies."
"The water that they supplied was also too hot to drink and I almost
vomitted out after taking my first sip. Next year maybe they can improve
on the logistics."
(END)

Underdogs rule the day

29/01/2001

THE underdogs ruled the day as champions and favourites found the going
too hot at the 2001 Malaysia Ironman Triathlon in Langkawi yesterday.
In the men's professional category, `Birthday Boy' Bryan Rhodes from New
Zealand who turned 28 yesterday, pipped the world's best, and the only man
to have dipped below 8 hours in triathlon, Lother Leder of Germany for the
crown.
Rhodes clocked a total of 8:43:54 in the swim (3.8km), cycle (180.2) and
marathon (42.2km).
"The number 28 has been lucky for me, as today was my 28th birthday and
the race was also on the 28th of January."
Leder followed the Kiwi closely throughout the race but never got a
chance to overtake him and finished second in 8:47:25.
In the women's professional category, Belinda Cheney from Australia
surprised all when she clocked 9:44:12 to beat a tired looking world
champion Natascha Badmann from Switzerland, who clocked 9:57:25.
On the Malaysian front, Mohamed Razani Husain carried the Jalur Gemilang
high when he completed the race in 10:31:42 to become the 21st finisher in
the men's category. Overall he finished 24th because three women overtook
him in the marathon run.
"I had a good feeling throughout the day, but in the second half of the
marathon I started having slight cramps and walked quite a distance before
I could continue running again. If not, I would have met my target of
finishing in 9 hours and 30 minutes," said the first timer in the Ironman.
Razani, who has taken part in numerous half-marathons, said he did not
feel too tired after the race and he never thought about quitting.
"All along the route I kept saying to myself that I have to finish the
race no matter what happened, and I achieved it in good time too.
"Next year I will be better prepared and hope to clock a better time but
I need professional coaching and if possible some monetary help so that i
can train fulltime without worrying about my bread and butter," said
Razani.
Belinda, also a newcomer, won the coveted ticket to Kona, Hawaii on
sheer determination.
"I never thought of winning, not with Natascha in the same race, but
strange things do happen in this endurance sport as I overcame pain and
mental fatigue along the way for a sweet victory."
Champions don't always win in triathlons, and the legendary islands of
Mahsuri is testimony to that.
Results: Swimming - 1 Bryan Rhodes (NZ) 48 minutes 45 seconds, 2 Glen
Gore (S Africa) 48:49, 3 Andrew Robertson (Aus) 51:20, 4 Lothar Leder
(Ger) 51:26, 5 Jane Fardell (Aus) 51:28, 6 Raynard Tissink (S Africa)
51:30, 7 Belinda Cheney (Aus) 51:32, 8 Jamie Patrick (US) 51:35, 9 Jason
Shortis (Aus) 51:37, 10 Matt Stephens (Aus) 52:225, 11 Stephen Farrell
(NZ) 54:59, 12 David Herman (US) 55:11, 13 Alfi Caprez (Swit) 55:13, 14
Kaoru Matsuda (Jpn) 55:17, 15 Matt Koorey (Aus) 55:20.
Cycling - 1 Rhodes 5 hours 36 minutes and 14 seconds, 2 Tissink 5:38:03,
3 Shortis 5:43:54, 4 Garrett MacFadyen (Can) 5:43:55, 5 Leder 5:44:06, 6
Robertson 5:44:58, 7 Stephens 5:47:41, 8 Farrell 5:52:41, 9 Glen Gore (S
Africa) 5:58:41, 10 Caprez 5:58:41, 11 Matsuda 6:05:07, 12 Konrad von
Allmen (Swit), 13 Belinda 6:08:25, 14 Jerome Prigent (Fra) 6:08:32, 15
Florian Balluais (Fra) 6:09:42.
Marathon - 1 Rhodes 3:07:40, 2 Leder 3:03:19, 3 Tissink 3:18:06, 4
Macfadyen 3:14:51, 5 Glen Gore (S Africa) 3:03:26, 6 Robertson 3:40:40, 7
Stephens 3:38:31, 8 Balluais 3:08:44, 9 Von Allmen 3:04:12, 10 Belinda
3:35:47.
Overall men - 1 Rhodes 8:43:54, 2 Leder 8:47:25, 3 Tissink 8:56:08, 4
McFadyen 8:58:45, 5 Gore 9:02:07, 6 Von Allmen 9:12:21, 7 Balluais
9:18:26, 8 Robertson 9:25:38, 9 Stephens 9:26:21, 10 Nobutaka Maki (Jpn)
9:39:47.
Overall women - 1 Belinda 9:44:2, 2 Natascha 9:57:25, 3 Susan Peter
(Aus) 10:26:53, 4 Clara Roldan (Sp) 10:52:24, 5 Florens Daniel (Mari)
10:52:30.
(END)

No favourites in the land of the Ironmen

28/01/2001

THE Ironman Malaysia triathlon 2001 rolls off today and it would be
foolish to place your money on the big names before they come out of the
water at the Dataran Lang jetty.
The men's professional defending champion Kaoru Matsuda from Japan,
Lothar Leder from Germany, who comes with an impressive resume of having
finished third twice in Hawaii in 1998 and 1999, and the women's pros
favourites Susan Peter from Australia and world's top woman triathlete
Natascha Badmann will have to swim, cycle and run like their lives
depended on it to reach the finish line.
This is because almost all the 320 triathletes assembled in Langkawi
have only one goal, and that is to dip below 8 hours and 40 minutes.
And after they emerge from the 3.8km swim, seen as the most gruelling
stage for most Ironmen, a clearer pattern will emerge on the eventual
champions of their respective categories.
Bryan Rhodes from New Zealand, yet to win any Ironman title after four
years of competing, has a special reason to topple champion Matsuda and
Ironman Europe 2000 champion Leder.
"I will be turning 28 tomorrow (January 28) and since the race is also
on the 28th, I hope to celebrate my birthday by reaching the finish line
first," said the Kiwi.
Natascha, who said she would not sleep until her bicycle arrives from
Switzerland, finally went to bed at 10am yesterday when her second bike
arrived in Langkawi. The handle of her bicycle broke while she was in
training on Friday.
The professionals, numbering 24 men and 12 women, are expected to finish
the race ranging from 8-10 hours after the 7.0am start but the rest of the
age group and special athletes are expected to trickle in at around
midnight.
Last year Matsuda clocked 8:49:12 for the title while Susan clocked
9:55:17 for the woman's crown.
As for the Malaysian athletes, Mohamed Razani Hussain is the only entry
in the professional category.
Since it is his first full triathlon, he might find the going tough.
Razani arrived at midnight on Friday and will only have one full day of
training on the island as compared to most foreign triathletes who have
been in Langkawi for the past two weeks.
(END)

Zaba `the Ironman' behind the scene

21/01/2001

PHYSICALLY, he is not built like an endurance athlete, but when the soft-
spoken Zaba Aman began talking about the Ironman Malaysia Triathlon, he
transformed into an incredible hulk.
If points were awarded for passion and dedication towards organising the
Ironman Triathlon on Jan 28, then Zaba, deputy chairman of LIEM (Langkawi
Ironman) would win hands down.
The quest to bring Ironman to Malaysia started in 1996 and, Zaba,
together with LIEM president and Chief Executive Director Datuk Sri Ram
Sharma, went to Germany, Switzerland, Cheju Island (South Korea), Hawaii
and Australia to set up booths and sell Langkawi as another haven for the
event.
Inevitably, the most asked question was: Where is Langkawi?
After four years of canvassing and setting up hospitality booths at
various countries, they finally secured a 10-year franchise from World
Triathlon Corporation (WTC) to host one leg of the circuit every year.
TimeSport's Jugjet Singh spoke with Zaaba on the present and future of
Ironman in Malaysia.
Q: Ironman is not a stadium sport where tickets can be sold and profit
made, so why select this event?
A: We are not into it to make a quick buck. Our commitment is long term
as we have secured a 10-year franchise from the WTC to host a leg of the
circuit every year.
We are more into it because it is a healthy sport where the runners do
not smoke or drink alcohol, in fact they spend most of their free time
training and eating healthy food.
It is a sport where the human mind pushes the body to its limit to
strive for excellence. This relates to the common man who `breaks his
back' daily to place food on the dinner table.
For the 2001 Langkawi Ironman, we have received 330 entries worldwide
out of which only 30 are professionals, the rest range from elite age
groups to determined weekend warriors who squeeze in strange hours of the
day and night to be in top shape by race day.
Q: You associated Ironman with the daily life of the man-on-the-street,
elobrate please.
A: The culture of Ironman is the strenght and ability to go the distance
when it matters most. Even when the body is unwilling, the mind must be
sharp enough to get up and continue with the mission until we cross the
`finish line'. It is like life itself because the first phase of swiming
is like our early life, the cycling stage is like the working years where
we strive to keep going and accomplish things. The finish is like our
retirement years where we can sit back and savour our accomplishments
after a gruelling life.
Q: Why select Langkawi for the event?
A: Hawaii was our model when we made the proposal so Langkawi was the
natural choice when we won the bid. We discovered that the Ironman focuses
tremendous national and international media attention on Hawaii, and it is
a known fact that, via television, it brings the event to the homes of
more than 200 million views worldwide.
A key element of Hawaii's success was its location, climate, beauty and
culture.
We have it all and more in Langkawi. Its exotic beauty is what we want
to show to the rest of the world via this sport-tourism. Facilities-wise,
Langkawi has the best with a good road system, reliable transportation,
world class hotels and the people are warm and friendly.
In the near future, we want to make the island paradise a household name
around the world.
Q: How is Langkawi and its people going to benefit from Ironman?
A: This is the only sport in the world where competitors pay for
everything, starting with the entrance fee of US$300 (RM1,140). The
competitors will also have to pay for their accommodation, air travel and
food.
Tickets are through Malaysia Airlines, we anticipate hotels to be fully
booked and since the athletes will arrive about 10 days before the race
and most will go sightseeing after the race proper, Langkawi is assured of
roaring business for 15 days at least.
Since it is an expensive sport, where the specially built bicycles cost
around RM10,00, the athletes have the spending power so Langkawai should
benefit.
(THE most recent statistics compiled by Hawaii's Department of Business,
Econimic Development and Tourism show that Ironman generates US$14.9
million in direct sales to out-of-State visitors specifically travelling
to the Big Island for the annual event. Not included in this figure are
the millions the event brings the State in television exposure and visitor
travel throughout the rest of the year).
Q: This year, you have 330 athletes competing. What would be the ideal
number if Langkawi wants to rival Hawaii in the near future?
A: The ideal number of athletes should be around 2,000 to 3,000 as this
will really generate income for the Island as all the facilities and rooms
will be fully booked because most athletes come with their families and
for some it is a vacation-cum-competition.
The first Ironman in Langkwai was held in May last year and we had about
100 athletes. After seven months of diligent promotions and planning, we
now have managed to convince 32 athletes from the United States to enter.
The US is very important because each year more than 2,500 triathlons are
held there alone, with a million people competing worldwide.
So the market is gigantic and even if we can tap a small percentage of
it, it will be a home run for sure. Tourism through sports is the in-thing
today and we hope to make this event a top revenue earner for Langkawi and
Malaysia.
Q: The race starts and ends at Dataran Helang. Can you elobrate briefly
on the swimming, cycling and running part? (see accompanying graphics).
A: The clock will start with the gun at 7am and run non-stop until the
end of the race which will officially end 17 hours later. Rest stops,
transitions etc will be included in the total elapsed time. In addition to
the 17-hour overall cut-off time, there are cut-off times for each segment
of the race.
The cut-off time for the swim segment (3.8km) is two hours and 20
minutes after the start and any competitor still in the water after this
will not be permitted to continue.
For the biking part (180.2km), the cut-off is 10 hours and 30 minutes
after the start. The length of marathon race is 42.2km and all three
segments must be completed within 17 hours.
The top runners normally finish in eight hours but for some of the
weekend-devils, 17 hours will not be enough as many will find the route
too gruelling.
This 226.2km race will test their physical limits, and take them through
an unprecedented range of emotions.
Q: Since you have a 10-year franchise, what are some of your future
plans to make the race more exciting?
A: The first race in May did not have a special segment for the disabled
athletes, this year we have included it and three disabled athletes have
confirmed their entries. Their determination and courage is simply awesome
and puts many an able bodied person to shame.
Over the years several physically challenged athletes have successfully
competed in the Ironman beginning in 1982. Heroes have emerged from the ranks including Joseph Raineri, a blind athlete from the US, who became
the first physically challenged athlete to complete the race. The first
deaf competitor, Michael Russo from New York, competed in 1984.
We also hope to hold two to three Half-Ironman around Malaysia to
familiarise locals with this endurance sport and toughen them enough to
compete in a full Ironman and maybe have a local champion in the near
future. Development programmes with coaching clinics are also in the
pipeline.
(END)

All hands on Juniors

21/12/2000

THE national juniors played a friendly against Bank Simpanan Nasional at
Bukit Jalil Hockey Stadium and the army of coaches and team managers who
turned up would have surprised even the hardened hockey fan.
The Phase Two selection team aside, Coach of the Year Stephen van
Huizen, Yahya Atan, Wallace Tan and the Bukit Jalil Sports School coach
looked like mother hens trying to protect their chicks.
Their overzealousness is understandable because assembled yesterday was
the future of Malaysian hockey.
Ten juniors were dropped after Phase One - goalkeeper Faizal Aziz
Ibrahim, defenders Norzaiful Rizal, M. Mani Kumaran, S. Vengades,
S.Nagaraju, centrehalves P.Prem Kumar and Che Rezuan Che Ismail and
strikers Omar Hafiz, Mohamed Dasuki Zin and M. Sathian Krishna.
"The 32 players selected for Phase Two will not only play in the 2001
Junior World Cup in Hobart but will also form the core for the 2002 World
Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
"That is why we have placed special emphasis on their progress," said
Malaysian HF deputy president Datuk Seri P. Alagendra after the selection
yesterday.
Promising centrehalf Prem Kumar was dropped because of a knee injury and
the doctors say he will not be 100 per cent ready for the Junior World Cup
in October.
Other than Kumar, those retained were quite predictable as they have
enjoyed a good year playing in the Malaysia Hockey League. Yesterday,
regular Chua Booon Huat strengthened his claim as a future replacement for
specialist S. Kuhan when he flicked home a penalty corner set-piece in the
first few minutes of play to pressure the star-studded BSN attack of
Mirnawan Nawawi and Dhanaraj Pillay.
"The trainees will enjoy a break from today (yesterday) until after Hari
Raya and the actual crunch will start in February after the MHL ends when
the 24 juniors playing in the League return for fulltime training," said
Alagendra.
In mid-February, the French national team will be in town to play eight
friendlies against the seniors and juniors. Then in early April, they will
head for Hobart, Tasmania for three weeks to get acclimatised and play in
the Arafura Games, which will be held in Darwin in May.
In June, the senior and junior squads will head for South Korea and MHF
are liaising with their Korean counterparts to arrange for a string of
matches.
A month later, the juniors will be off to Germany to get used to playing
under pressure against some of the best in the world. On Aug 2-12, there
is the Azlan Shah Cup which will see at least eight juniors in action.
"We are also trying to arrange for a Four-Nation after the Azlan Shah
but that is still subject to confirmation."
In September, Malaysia will play in the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games where
they are sure bets to to retain the gold medal won in Brunei two years
ago.
"The Junior World Cup is on Oct 9-20 and by then, our players, eight of
whom are 16-years-old, should be more confident of themselves against New
Zealand, Germany and Argentina in Group D," said Alagendra.
The itinerary is impressive, the string of coaches second to none, and
MHF have pledged to leave no stone unturned to mount a serious challenge.
Now the onus is squarely on those selected. PHASE TWO
Goalkeepers: Shaiful Azhar Afendi, Timothy Lopez, Mohamed Firdauz
Razali; Defenders: Redzuan Ponirin, S. Shankar, Mohamed Amin Rahim, V.
Vinodhan, Abdul Shukor Adam, Razlan Mohamed Radzi, Razalee Yahya, Shahzan
Amir, Norhanafi Omar, Norhisham Shaari.
Centrehalves: Chua Boon Huat, Jiwa Mohan, A. Nagarajan, Maswardi
Shahrudin, Mohamed Sukri Mutalib, P. Prabahkaran, Jivan Mohan, Mohamed
Suffian Mohamed.
Forwards: Logan Raj, Nor Azlan Rahim, Tajol Rosli, Mohamed Fairus Ramli,
Zaharin Zakaria, Mohamed Fakhrulrazi, Azlan Misron, Mohamed Hashim Rahmat,
Mohamed Fairus Hamsani, Mohamed Zaki Janhari, Mohamed Izwan Hassan.
(END)