Pete’s three-peat

AUSTRALIAN Pete Jacobs survived Cameron Brown’s challenge to complete a three-peat in the men’s pro division of the Cobra energy drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines, while Caroline Steffen dethroned Belinda Granger in the women’s pro division at the Shangri-la Resort and Spa, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday.

However, it was not an easy win for 30-year-old Jacobs as he considered Cebu’s race as the toughest Ironman 70.3, finishing it in 4:07:38. He won his second title last year in 3:51:43.

“The supporters down there were amazing. I consider this as the toughest 70.3 race I’ve done,” said Jacobs, who got second place in the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Brown of New Zealand finished second some two minutes behind Jacobs in 4:09:01 and the Philippines’s Mathieu O’Halloran got third place in 4:19:32.

“I felt that I was winning after I pulled five kilometers away from Brown towards the finish line,” said Jacobs, who was the first to come out of the 1.9-kilometer swim in 21:26.

In the women’s division, Steffen, a member of the Alaska Team TBB who won the 2012 ITU Long Distance World Championships last weekend, clocked 4:20.48 to win the title over Bree Wee (4:27:24) and Granger (4:32:09).

In the Filipino elite division, rising triathlete August Benedicto snatched the men’s title from Arland Macasieb, who suffered two flat tires and botched a podium finish, while Monica Torres won her fourth straight crown.

“I’m really very happy because of what I have to go through. I was able to overcome an injury and while racing, I had to fight the pain in my back,” Benedicto said.

Benedicto clocked 4:27:39 to beat Franklin Penalosa (4:35:28) and Cebu’s seasoned marathoner turned triathlete Mendel Lopez (4:39:24). Noy Jopson (4:43:15) and Philip Duenas (4:47:11) took the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

Torres clocked in at 4:48:40 to earn her fourth title in the Filipino elite women’s division and was the only Pinay to finish under five hours. Lea Coline Langit got second place in 5:09:51, while Marion Kim Mangrobang got third place in 5:18:04/ Cebu’s Rochelle Tan finishe fourth in 6:36:05 and Loveneil Casidsid got fifth in 6:54:39.

In the over-all men and women’s age group results, Singapore’s Assad Attamimi and Jackson Christina took the men’s and women’s over-all titles respectively.

Attamimi clocked in at 4:17:47 to beat Thomas Vonach (4:19:28) and Paul Ryman
(4:21:51). Dane Cantwell got fourth place in 4:28:11 and F1 driver and former world champion Jenson Button got fifth place in (4:35:39).

In the women’s age group over-all Christina clocked 4:37.20 followed by Andrea Bess with 4:56:13 for the second and Alessand Araulo-Gonzalez with 5:01.27 for the third spot.

Team Mateo’s Amale Jopson, Lohriz Echavez Lopez and Joy Tabal won the all women relay category in ____while the men’s relay was won by Nike Park Team A of Johansen Aguilar, Eusebio Quiñones and Eric Panique in ________.

The mixed-relay was won by Nike Park/Smea Team of Donato Capili, Heleisha Lavina and Irinio Roquin, while First Endurance CPK Tri of Evan Uy, Warren Davadilla and Carlo Pedregosa. won the corporate relay division.

Duenas, who finished the run leg in ____was awarded as the fastest man, while Torres, who did it in, won the women’s title.