AUSTRALIA’s Jason Metters defended his Tagaman title by beating 112 participants during Saturday’s 13th Annual Tagaman Triathlon.
Michael Trees of England, last year’s second placer, finished second again while Stephen Farrell of New Zealand got the third place.
The 30-year-old Metters finished with 28:56 in swimming for second place, 1:24:01 in bike for first place, and 56:58 in run for second place. His overall time was 2:49:55.
“The participants are very strong. But it’s easier this year because it’s not hot. Last year was much hotter. There’s no winds today. It’s humid for me being coming from Australia,” Metters told Variety after completing the 2-km. swim, 60-km. bike, and 15-km. run.
The triathlon started with swimming at the beach front of Pacific Islands Club. The event ended up with a run to the finish point at Micro Beach.
It was Metter’s second year in Tagaman, which is the biggest international sporting event in the Western Pacific/Micronesia region. Last year, he won by finishing 2:38:59.
The 39-year-old Trees won the run by finishing 55:37. His overall time was 2:55:20.
“Jason (Metters) was very strong and fast,” said Trees, who won the Tagaman in 1994, 1995, and 2000.
Farrell clocked 32:24 in swimming, 1:27:07 in bike, and 57:50 in run for an overall time of 2:57:21. He won the Tagaman title in 1999 and got the third place in 1998 and 2000.
For the women’s division, Claire Murray of Hong Kong was first by finishing an overall time of 3:19:52. Her time was 13th overall best among all participants.
Last year’s winner Susan Burr of Hawaii finished second while last year’s third placer Colleen Bourke of Australia again landed on third place.
