Winners all: Fernando Toldi won the men’s category.
PETALING JAYA: Brazilian athlete Fernando Toldi’s first visit to Malaysia cumulated in celebration as he triumphed in the gruelling Ironman Malaysia in Langkawi yesterday.
The 37-year-old delivered an extraordinary performance in the professional men’s race, dominating the 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42.4km run in an impressive time of 8’10:23, ahead of Australia’s Tim Van Berkel (8’12:38) and Andreas Dreitz in third (8’18:07).
The win in Langkawi comes just three months after Toldi secured his breakthrough win at Ironman 70.3 Ecuador but this success is likely to be one he will savour more given the intense level of competition.
Marking the second consecutive year professional athletes have returned to Malaysian shores, Toldi faced not only sweltering heat but also a highly competitive field.
“I earned my first win in July in Ecuador and now I’ve done it here. I’m really happy because I trained hard for this race and put all my energy into it.
“I dreamt so much for this day. It was tough mentally, I had to push myself like I never did before.
“This win is important for me. It was one of the toughest I have ever raced in my life,” he said.
Regan Hollioake took the women’s race in Langkawi yesterday. — Ironman Malaysia
Meanwhile, Australia’s Regan Hollioake proved equally impressive by winning the professional women’s race with a time of 9’13:07, 17 minutes ahead of second place finisher Katie Remond (9’30:00) and Italy’s Frederica De Nicola in third (9’42:05).
Like Toldi, Malaysia proved to be a fruitful hunting ground for rookie professional Hollioake, who clinched victory in her debut appearance here, following the 35-year-old’s previous win at Ironman Australia in May.
“It’s my first time here and I wasn’t sure how I would do with the heat but it was brutal as I expected.
“Malaysia looked like such a beautiful place to visit, and it is. It was combining a bit of a holiday and a race as well.
“I’m relieved for it to be over, but I’m absolutely thrilled to take the victory,” she said.
In the Ironman 70.3 Langkawi race, featuring a shorter distance of 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21.1km run, Romania’s Toma Alexandru emerged victorious in the male race while Bianca Marcon from Brazil claimed the top spot in the female competition.
