NTT Results
By King Bernas

The National Triathlon Trials (NTT) were held in Cebu recently. Eagerly anticipated, the NTT pits some of the county's strongest triathletes against each other- the prize being no less then a slot in the national team.

Strong contenders in the Elite Men's field included defending champion Noel Salvador, Abet Alon-Alon, George Vilog, Abet Biagan, Nonoy Jopson and Alvin Alindogan. For the women it was recent Philippine Long Distance Triathlete winner Ani De Leon, Popo Nafgtalon, Sandra Araullo, Bing Alto and Cebuano bets Amale Jopson, Ripples Rifanan, Ana Carla Pangilinan and Winnie Chan.

The Elite Men's division was as close a result an anyone could remember in any triathlon, with the top three finishers sprinting for the finish line. Bacolod bet Noel Salvador crossed the line first (2:11:23), split seconds ahead of Cebuano Abet Biagan (2:11:31)and Laguna-based Mark Candelaria (2:11:45).

The Women's Elite race finished more or less as expected, with Ani De Leon (2:33:30) coming in first, followed by Popo Nagtalon (2:36:27) and Sandra Araullo (2:37:27). Ani de Leon has accomplished quite a feat over the past year, winning the NTT for the third year in a row, the Philippine Long Distance Triathlon, and the Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT).

The NTT also highlighted some of the countries up and coming athletes in the Under 23 division. Davao's Johnny Yanong won the Men's Under 23 followed by Cebu's Mark Yamoyam and Eldy Banluta. Third-place Elite placer Sandra Araullo won the Women's Under 23, followed by Louie Villacin and Ana Carla Pangilinan, both from Cebu.

Full Results >>>