After dominating the SEA Games competition for the second straight time, the next target of the Philippine women’s triathlon team is the 2020 Tokyo Games.
PH coach Ani De Leon-Brown said the regional biennial meet was just part of their long-term buildup for the Olympics.
“Our long-term goal is to qualify to the Olympics, so we are gathering points for the next two years,” said De Leon-Brown, also a former national team member.
Kim Mangrobang and Claire Adorna, who completed a 1-2 finish in the SEA Games on Monday, are also scheduled to compete in the Weihai tournament in China on Sept. 30; Tongyeong, Korea on Oct. 28; and Miyazaki, Japan on Nov. 5.
Only the top 55 triathletes are qualified to compete in Tokyo.
“We think we can do it,” said De Leon-Brown. “These three tournaments coming up will also give our ladies more experience for future high-ranked invitational races.”
Prior to the SEA Games, all members of the national team trained abroad in separate high-intensity training camps.
Mangrobang, in particular, trained under Portuguese coach Sergio Santos in Rio Major, Portugal last May.
Prior to the SEA Games, she finished19th in the Tiszaujvaros ITU (International Triathlon Union) World Cup in Hungary last June.
Adorna, for her part, trained for one month in Phuket, Thailand with local coach Melvin Fausto.
