Triathlon: Kimberly and Shahrom best bets

KIMBERLY Yap and Shahrom Abdullah are the two best bets to win gold medals in the triathlon at the Sea Games.

Winner of the only gold for the sport in the 2005 Manila Sea Games, Kimberley will be defending her title in the women's category.

In fact, Kimberly is the No 1 women's triathlete in Southeast Asia and also the Asian No 33.

Kimberly has represented Malaysia in swimming previously and has two Sea Games bronze medals as a member of the 4x100 and 4x400 quartets.

But after the 2001 Sea Games, the Sarawakian started competing in a few events that had both triathlon (swimming, cycling, running) and duathlon (cycling and running) disciplines and she got hooked.
In the men's category the Triathlon Association of Malaysia (TAM) is pinning its hopes on Shahrom, who has been involved in the sport for six years, to land its first gold medal.

"We are sending eight athletes to Pattaya, and we hope that they will do well," said TAM secretary Chan Chee Seng.

"I am sure Kimberly will deliver and, hopefully, Shahrom will also."

The Sea Games-bound athletes are in competing in the Lumut Challenge which begins today.

"Based on Kimberly and Shahrom's performances they are a class above the Sea Games level, and they should deliver."