Top RP triathlete gets silver medal at SEA Games

The Philippines' top triathlete George Vilog was able to hold off Singapore's Ying Ren Mok until the last five kilometers of the run portion, to settle for silver in the triathlon competition on Sunday at the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Pattaya, Thailand. "Inabutan ako sa last five kilometer sa run," Vilog said. "Bagama't nakakasabay ako, nag breakaway siya (Mok) dumiskarte ng husto. Pa lingon-lingon siya, kapag nakikita nya na lumalapit ako, binubuhos talaga niya." Vilog finished the three-event race in two hours, five minutes, and 32 seconds, according to a report issued by the Philippine delegation. Mok, who checked home at the 2:05.08 mark, was rushed to the hospital after he vomited and felt dizzy at the finish line in front of the Ambassador Hotel. "Tingnan mo naman ang nangyari, talagang ubos-ubos siya," Vilog said. "Kapag lumalapit ako sa kanya, binubuhos pa niya, kaya siguro, parang nasobrahan." RP's third bet in the race – Arland Macasieb – took the bronze medal in 2:07.40. In the women's triathlon, Alessandra Araullo and Maria Melliza Lucas finished 2-3 in a s division topped by Malaysia's Kimbeley Yap Fuili who finished in 2:12.14. Araullo clocked 2:13.35 good for silver and Lucas timed in 2:13.56 good for bronze – a pair of performances that surpassed the 2:14.16 Philippine record set by Leah Colin Langit in the last 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar. "Malakas talaga sa swim yung taga Malaysia," Araullo said after the race. "Exposure-wise, talagang seasoned na si Kimberley. Dami nya international exposure. But we did our best not only for this race, even in our two-month training. I think, we have to practice more, 365 days a year and gain more international exposure, and hopefully, if we still have the opportunity, we'll still give our best." If there was any consolation for the RP contingent, only one out of the eight athletes in duathalon and triathlon did not win medal. All the seven athletes went home with a medal each. The best, of course, for the Philippines was the gold that Ryan Mendoza took in the men's duathlon. The RP athletes finished with a combined output of one gold, two silvers. and four bronzes in triathlon and duathlon. - GMANews.TV