CEBUANO triathlete Andrew Kim Remolino is excited to represent the country in his first stint in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be hosted by the Philippines on Nov. 30 to Dec.11, 2019.
Remolino, the ace triathlete of the Go For Gold and Talisay City Luigi Triathlon Group (TLTG), is one of the prime candidates to represent the country in the men’s division of the triathlon event set in Subic Bay.
“We are now preparing. It’s our dream to be at this stage and we’re looking to bring a good impact and performance. That’s why we are training hard for this,” Andrew Kim’s father, Roland, told this writer in Cebuano during a quick chat at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Remolino, a national team coach for triathlon, said the top two individual athletes after the qualifying races will represent the country in the biennial sporting meet.
The younger Remolino was the fastest Filipino in the qualifying races—the Subic Bay International Triathlon 2019 and the Gyeongju ASTC Triathlon Asian Championship in South Korea.
“It’s a new challenge for (Andrew) Kim but he’s excited about it,” said the older Remolino.
The top two triathletes will represent the country in the individual standard distance race, which covers a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40K bike and a 10K run. The third and fourth-ranked triathletes will also join the team but will compete in the relay race.
The country has been dominant in the SEA Games in the past years. Nikko Huelgas won two gold medals in the men’s division in the 2015 Singapore and 2017 Kuala Lumpur editions.
Claire Adorna and Kim Mangrobang won the gold and silver medals in the 2015 SEA Games. The two also had a 1-2 finish in the 2017 edition but it was Mangrobang who got the gold medal and Adorna settling for a silver medal.
“There are fast swimmers in the SEA regions but not in the three disciplines,” Roland said. “Kim’s training has been continuous. We hope to be free from injury so we can perform at a high level during the actual race.” (RSC)