MUSCAT: Multiple Ironman champion Ilya Slepov clinched the Ironman 70.3 Oman Muscat 2023 honours at Shatti Al Qurum here on Saturday.
The Russian triathlete claimed the men’s overall title in Muscat by finishing in four hours four minutes and seven seconds in the total race distance of 113 km which included 1.9 km swim, 90 km road bike and 21.1 km run.
Slepov clocked a timing of 26min 26 secs in swim, 02:15:33 in biking and 01:17:32 in run.
Bryan van Rutten of the Netherlands claimed the overall second position by finishing in 04:06:27. Portugal’s Raphael Domingos took the third spot in 04:07:30 among the 339 finishers in the race.
Irish triathlete Niall McCarthy of Sliante Endurance team (04:14:02) was fourth and Flaurian Kaufmann of Switzerland (04:14:16) finished fifth.
Oman Triathlon’s David Hynes (04:14:30) came in sixth position.
KRISTA ON TOP
In the women’s section, Finland’s Krista Kuusijarvi bagged the top honours by finishing in 04:45:25 (00:35:17, 02:32:38 and 01:31:39 in three stages).
Belgium’s Liesbeth Leysen (05:00:02) claimed the second spot while Ireland’s Michelle Nagle (05:01:44) of Sliante Endurance team finished third among the 73 finishers in the section.
South Africa’s Jacqualine Engelbrecht (05:03:56) took the fourth position and Switzerland’s Ines Kneubuhler (05:07:44) of CNN Tri Nyon finished fifth.
His Highness Sayyid Fahr bin Fatik Al Said was the chief guest for the concluding award ceremony in presence of Azzan bin Qasim bin Mohammed al Busaidy, Under-secretary of Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, and chief organizer Mohammed al Obaidani, CEO of Triathlon Middle East (TRI.ME).
ABU DHABI POLICE CHAMPIONS
In the team relay, Team Abu Dhabi Police won the top place with a timing of 03:51:08. Great Britain’s Team Cyclekom (04:01:28) was second while Oman’s Team Mas claimed the third spot with a timing of 04:47:12.
Team Happy Crampers (05:02:51) took the fourth spot and Team Kaspi.kz (05:04:11) finished fifth out of 16 teams.
Young Omani triathletes Salim al Nabhani (04:53:19) and Omar al Rashdy (05:18:05) of Oman Triathlon team impressed by finishing fourth and sixth respectively in the men’s 18-24 category.
SPECTACULAR COURSE
The 2023 Ironman 70.3 Oman route included a swim in the Sea of Oman waters off Shatti Al Qurum, followed by a bike and run route that took the athletes through Muscat’s magnificent urban settings and historic Old Quarter, as well as through the spectacular mountain and desert terrain surrounding the capital. The route also tracked its way past many of the capital’s tourism highlights – including the Muttrah Corniche and Souq, Al Alam Royal Palace, Royal Opera House Muscat, and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.
The race’s start, transition zone and finish line all were situated at the same location at Shatti Al Qurum as the triathletes, their support crews, and the large number of spectators enjoyed an action-packed race atmosphere in one central ‘stadium’ style location.
The event also included an Ironkids Muscat Run on February 3 for boys and girls aged three to thirteen years. The Ironman Race Village operated from February 2 to 4, providing an action-packed hub of entertainment for competitors and endurance sport fans in Oman.
Photo by Faisal al Balushi
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