Shio Yuan’s Desaru win a boost for her world c’ships’ preparation

KOTA TINGGI: Chia Shio Yuan’s (pic) feat of becoming the fastest Malaysian female athlete at the Ironman 70.3 Desaru Coast on Sunday has given her a timely boost as she gears up for her biggest challenge of the year, the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, on Oct 11.

The result could not have come at a better time for the 34-year-old, as she now has just five months left to prepare for the gruelling race in Hawaii, a course twice the distance of the one she just completed in Johor.

In Kona, Shio Yuan, fondly known as Yen Chia will line up with thousands of other qualifiers to tackle a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and a full 42.2km marathon run, bringing the total race distance to a daunting 226km.

At Desaru, Shio Yuan placed third in the 35–39 age group, finishing behind three-time winner Choo Er Ling and Tatiana Timofeeva, both from Singapore. Even sweeter, she clocked a time of 5’33:57s, a new personal best in the competition and a major milestone in her preparations.

Last year, she was the second-fastest Malaysian female, clocking a time of 5’58:02.

The strong finish is now serving as a positive indicator as she shifts focus to the much tougher test in Kona.

“Like I said, I treated this as a training race, a kind of simulation. I wanted to make sure my nutrition plan was in place and my pacing was on point. So overall, I’m satisfied with how I performed,” said Shio Yuan.

“I won’t be taking a break. I’ll keep training because there’s not much time left before the World Championship. Hopefully, I can break another personal best, that’s the goal.”

“Of course, based on the time I clocked, I’ve gained a lot of confidence. Most of the time I struggle with self-doubt and wonder if I can even do it.

“I’m grateful to my coach, who kept reminding me about my timing and race position, and to my teammates for their constant support. I really had to dig deep in this race,” she added.

This year’s Ironman 70.3 Desaru men’s title went to Australia’s Jed Radbone, who crossed the finish line in 4’13:02 to claim his first career win.

Former national rower Mohd Rabani Hashim stole the spotlight as the fastest Malaysian male, surprising many with an impressive time of 4’57:19.