Pinoy on Saipan earns spot in triathlon world championship

Saipan, CNMI — Puerto Princesa-native Renan “Butch" Sublemente earned a trip to Maui for the 2009 XTERRA World Championship after finishing first in his age division last Saturday. Sublemente, who is a nonresident worker in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, was the first to reach the finish line in the 35-39 men’s division clocking in three hours, 32 minutes and six seconds. The 37-year-old former BMX champion and CNMI National Triathlon Team member in the 2006 Micronesian Games completed the 1.5-kilometer swim leg in 27:39, negotiated the 30-km bike portion in 1:49:48 seconds and finished the 12-km jungle run in 1:14:39. So impressive was the amateur triathlete’s time that it even beat the effort put forth by former Philippine National triathlon team member Arland Macasieb, who logged in a total time of 3:37:30. Sublemente said he caught up with Macasieb in the bike portion of the race when the two negotiated the hilly trail at the back end of Mt. Tapochao, Saipan’s highest peak. He said the New Jersey-based Fil-Am probably had trouble with Saipan’s humidity and was unfamiliar with the XTERRA Saipan course. Not that Sublemente found the 2009 edition of XTERRA Saipan a cakewalk either. He said he was cramping badly in the run after pushing himself to the limit in the swim and bike portions of the race. Despite all the hardships, Sublemente noted that last Saturday’s race was his best XTERRA Saipan performance to date. He said he was able to train at full pace this year after opting not to renew his contract as a masseuse at Glooay Mai Thai Spa. He is currently applying at Pacific Islands Club Saipan. Incidentally, the general manager of the resort, Kieran Daly, topped the mini triathlon that coincided with the XTERRA Saipan—XTERRA Sport. Sublemente said he is dedicating his XTERRA Saipan victory, dubbed the crown jewel of the XTERRA Global Tour, to his wife Ritchell and their daughter, Alianna. Two other Filipino-Americans also qualified for the XTERRA World Championships set for October 25 in Makena, Hawaii. Up-and-coming triathlete Federico Fernandez, the son of contract workers on Saipan, topped the 15-19 age group (4:19:05) while Quincy Johnson reigned in the 20-24 division (4:23:37) Johnson’s mother is the former Lou Cruz of Nueva Ecija and his dad is Roland Johnson, who originally is from Louisiana. – GMANews.TV