Asia-Pacific Ironman championship coming to Laguna Phuket
The elephant was disqualified for having too many legs, so Australian pro racer Richie Cunningham won the men's title in the 2008 Laguna Phuket Triathlon. - Photo courtesy Laguna Resorts & Hotels.
After 16 years of hosting the highly successful Laguna Phuket Triathlon, Laguna Resorts & Hotels (LRH) has been rewarded by being named as the venue for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship. The race, on December 10 next year, will be the culmination of a new annual Asia-Pacific Ironman 70.3 Event Series and Laguna is expected to be the permanent home of this Championship.
The triathlon, which attracts hundreds of athletes including, in recent years, top triathletes from various parts of the world, now has the added luster of being an Ironman championship event, which means a $60,000 professional prize purse as well 50 qualifying slots for the 2011 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, Florida.
The Series is expected to include six races and grow to eight or 10 races long-term. Athletes will be able to qualify, at the Laguna Phuket Asia-Pacific Championship race to compete at Ironman 70.3 races around the world and at selected races in new markets such as the first ever international triathlon to be held in India.
Belinda Granger, also of Australia, took the women's pro title last year. Both she and Cunningham will return this year to defend their Laguna titles. - Photo courtesy Laguna Resorts & Hotels.
“The decision to host the Championship event at Laguna Phuket was an easy one,” said Murphy Reinschreiber, the World Triathlon Corporation’s managing director for Asia-Pacific. “The resort serves as a destination with broad appeal to athletes in all of our markets, including Australia, Singapore, Japan, the U.S. and Europe, and it is a proven and storied triathlon venue.”
Michael Ayling, managing director of LRH, commented, “The management of Laguna Phuket and the government of Phuket Province are truly honoured, extremely excited and proud that Phuket has been selected to host the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship.
“We feel that the 16 years of hard work and dedication that has gone into organizing the Laguna Phuket Triathlon has been rewarded by the international triathlon community, who recognize that we have the know-how and resources to ensure a very successful Asia-Pacific 70.3 Championship event in 2010 and beyond.”
