2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Goa: Army Sports Institute's Bishworjit Saikhom reclaims glory after two-year gap

Panaji, Oct 27 (IANS) Former champion from the Indian Army, Bishworjit Saikhom, reclaimed the top spot in the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Goa at Miramar Beach on Sunday. The 32-year-old, who won the inaugural edition in 2019 with a time of 4:47:47, had been unable to retain his title in the last two editions.

After rigorous training, Bishworjit posted his personal best time of 4:32:04 to reclaim his title in the Men’s category. Egypt’s Yasmin Halawa won the Women’s category with a time of 5:22:50.

The fourth edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Goa was flagged off by Race Ambassador and tennis legend Leander Paes, Lok Sabha member Tejasvi Surya, Founder & CEO Yoska and Race Director IRONMAN 70.3 Goa, India, Deepak Raj and Director, Marketing, Herbalife India, Ganeshan V S.

Nearly 1200 participants plunged into the sea, driven by the ambition to earn the title of IRONMAN. They showcased the spirit of sportsmanship throughout the race which required them to complete 1.9 km of swimming, 90 km of cycling, and 21.1 km of running.

Lok Sabha member Tejasvi Surya scripted history by becoming the first Member of Parliament to complete IRONMAN. He had previously participated as part of a relay team in 2022 where he completed 90kms of cycling. Two years hence, he has outdone himself as he completed the entire distance of swim, cycle and run to earn the rare distinction of being an Ironman with a time of 8:27:32.

Bishworjit engaged in a battle with Laikhuram Singh for the lead during the swimming and cycling stages. However, he pulled ahead with a quick transition from the bike to the road, claiming first place in the Men’s category with a time of 4:32:04. Jaoquin Berral from Spain and Ahmed Iraky from Egypt finished second and third with times of 4:48.09 and 4:49.10 respectively.

“I was motivated after losing the last two times. My coach and the Indian army supported me a lot during this period. I had a rigorous training regime in Pune to make sure that the prize didn’t slip from my fingers this time. The defeats changed my mindset and made me push myself, and I am glad that I have won again. Now the plan is to recover and prepare for the IRONMAN 70.3 in New Zealand,” Bishworjit revealed.

In the Women’s category, Yasmin Halawa pulled ahead of the pack during the cycling stage and held her lead, clinching first place with a time of 5:22:50. She was joined on the podium by Netherlands’ Karin van Leersum, who posted 5:44:39, and Indian Ketaki Sathe, who posted 5:51:05.

“I am feeling very good. It was a tough race—very humid on the bike and the run—but the aid stations were very helpful. They had a lot of ice, a lot of cold water, and the volunteers were amazing. It was a very super organisation. This is probably my 14th IRONMAN event, but it’s the first time I’ve claimed victory, so Goa is my special place,” Yasmin commented after her first-place finish.

The 37-year-old primary school teacher from Egypt began her tryst with triathlons at the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 in Barcelona. “It was very different. I finished in about six and a half hours, and I was 80th in my age group. Now, it's just continued consistency that has helped me get on the podium. The key will always be consistency,” she reflected on her progress since she began participating in IRONMAN.

Meanwhile, The Fit Swagger Goa, an all-Goan team comprising Yogesh Mhale, Shravan Jog and Terry, finished first among all the relay teams with a time of 5:00:20. National Disaster Response Force’s relay teams - NDRF Panthers followed in second place with a time of 5:11:58, and NDRF Lions came in third at 5:21.59.

--IANS

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