Shahrom Abdullah and Ann Pow Lead 7 Malaysians To World Championships at IRONMAN MALAYSIA
6 November 2022, LANGKAWI: Seven Malaysians stamped their mark at the IRONMAN MALAYSIA & IRONMAN 70.3 LANGKAWI by qualifying for two World Championships in Finland and Hawaii in 2023.
Shahrom Abdullah, Zakira Zulrimi, Ann Pow, Tia Aik Teong, and Lim Chee Yong booked their tickets to the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Meanwhile, husband and wife Tahira Najmunisaa and Abdul Rahman Abu Hassan will head to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Lahti, Finland.
Overall, the IRONMAN Malaysia & IRONMAN LANGKAWI 70.3 turned out a mega success as over 1,500 participants converged from all over the world to make this iconic multi-sport event one to remember. The IRONMAN Malaysia flagged off early Nov 5 morning, and despite challenge posed by the weather, it did not dampen the spirit of the competitors who turned it into a highly competitive affair.
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Indonesia’s Andy Wibowo was crowned the IRONMAN Malaysia overall male champion after crossing the finish line 9:37:58 seconds, while April Rice of Canada came finished as the fastest female with a time of 10:19:18 seconds.
2022 SEA Games duathlete Ann powered through as the quickest Malaysian (11:55:44 seconds) despite enduring most of her run with a blistered foot. In her debut race at IRONMAN Malaysia, Ann earned her ticket to the world meet in Hawaii.
“Participating in Kona is my dream and it’s not just for me, it’s the same for every IRONMAN. I never expected that I could get a spot. I really wanted to be the first in my age group. I did not expect to finish as the fastest Malaysian female, this is a bonus to me,” exclaimed Ann.
Veteran Shahrom turned in as the fastest Malaysian IRONMAN Malaysia male triathlete with a time of 10:40:55 seconds.
“This is my fifth full IRONMAN and I am thrilled to finish as the fastest Malaysian,” said Shahrom, who was also the fastest Malaysian in 2019.
At the IRONMAN LANGKAWI 70.3 race, national duathlete Ziq Junaidy gave himself the best birthday gift after he was crowned fastest Malaysian with a commanding performance to finish the race in 4:52:39 seconds.
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2022 SEA Games silver medalist Tahira became the fastest female athlete for the IRONMAN Langkawi 70.3 with a time of 5:14:55 seconds. Her participation was initially in doubt as her daughter was due to undergo an open heart surgery, but it got postponed and she got to compete.
The Langkawi 70.3 male champion meanwhile went to Romania’s Toma Alexandru who clocked in 4:18:46 seconds, while Singapore’s Choo Ling Er took top spot in the female category after finishing in 4:47:29 seconds.
