Two-time Olympian Max Studer of Switzerland lived up to his favourite tag as he powered to the men’s elite title at the Asia Triathlon Cup (ATC) Putrajaya, whilst Canada’s Isla Britton triumphed in the women’s elite race.

The 29-year-old Studer made his maiden trip to Malaysia a memorable one after dominating the race, contested over Sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run), with an impressive time of 52:23 at the Kompleks Sukan Air Putrajaya on Saturday.

It was a dominant win, as Hong Kong’s Oscar Coggins claimed runner-up position 55 seconds adrift (53:18), whilst Asian No. 15 Ryosuke Maeda clinched bronze in 53:25.

Studer, whose previous ATC victory was in Dexing, China, two years ago, said he decided to compete in Malaysia after hearing positive feedback about the event and the country from his girlfriend-cum-teammate Alanis Siffert, who participated in last year’s inaugural edition.

Siffert finished third in the race, which was won by another Swiss competitor, Julie Derron. Derron would go on to win silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics in August.

“It’s my first time. My girlfriend, Alanis, also from Switzerland, raced last year in the first edition of this race. Julie, the winner, was here too—she is also a teammate I train with. We are currently training together in Yuxi, China, and they told me about this race,” said Studer.

The win certainly set a positive tone for Studer, who is seeking to make amends after a disappointing Paris 2024 Olympic campaign last year, where he finished only 40th— a far cry from the creditable ninth secured in his debut in Tokyo.

“Unfortunately, in Paris, it didn’t go as planned. I took time off, and now I’m back training. This is my first time racing in triathlon again since the Olympics, so today’s win is really important. It’s good to see that my fitness is improving and that I can pick up the pace.”

Meanwhile, Canadian Isla Britton edged out Japan’s Mako Hiraizumi in a dramatic late dash to the finish line to secure the women’s title in 1:01:52, finishing four seconds ahead of her rival.

Kim Gyu-ri of South Korea completed the podium, clocking 1:02:08.

Britton was on cloud nine after overcoming a penalty for a rule violation during the race.

“I got a penalty, and I didn’t think I was going to win. I served my penalty, and the girl in second just ran past me. I thought, ‘I can get her in a sprint finish.’ So it made it a bit more exciting at the end,” said Britton.

“I was pretty comfortable for the first lap, and then I saw my penalty. I needed to run a bit harder to create a gap, but I think my running was what led to the win.

“It’s my first time here, and it’s absolutely beautiful. I’ve loved my time here. The event is so well organised, so I’ll definitely be back.”

Meanwhile, it was a day to cherish for the Chen family, as siblings Benjamin John and Esther Joy Chen were both crowned National Champions after finishing as the best-placed Malaysians in their respective races.

Benjamin finished 43rd in the 65-man race with a time of 1:01:50 to seal his first national title, whilst Esther finished 22nd in the 46-woman contest in 1:05:35 to successfully retain her crown.

Benjamin was delighted to have triumphed after finishing third last year, joining Esther in the national champions’ club.

“I expected that it would happen one day—it was definitely coming—but I didn’t expect it to be today. I gave it everything I had and just hoped that it was enough. I put in the work and trained hard, so I knew it was going to happen eventually,” said Benjamin.

“My sister has always been an inspiration to me. She’s always been at the top, and I’ve never been. So I’ve always hoped to be like her one day. It feels great to stand on the podium at the same level as her today.”

Esther is hopeful that the strong start to the season will help her prepare well for the Thailand SEA Games, where she aims to win a medal for Malaysia.

“I feel like this was a big step up from my last race because I didn’t just rely on my running—I did really well in the swim. Now that I know my swim fitness is strong, it can only get better from here,” said Esther.

“I’m hoping we can bring back a medal this year because we haven’t won one in quite a few years. It would be a big achievement for Malaysia.”