PTO Asian Open in Singapore to feature top-ranked male and female triathletes

SINGAPORE – Spectators at the Marina Bay will be able to catch some sizzling action at the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) Asian Open in August, with organisers on Thursday announcing the top-ranked field that will feature in the US$600,000 (S$794,000) event.

Headlined by Olympic champion and PTO world No. 1 Kristian Blummenfelt, the Aug 19-20 Asian Open will also see the likes of 2022 Ironman world champion Gustav Iden and PTO world No. 5 Max Neumann, who won the European Open in Ibiza, Spain, in May.

In the women’s field, PTO world No. 1 Ashleigh Gentle, who finished second in Ibiza and won the PTO’s Canadian Open and US Open in 2022, will come up against second- and third-ranked Anne Haug and Lucy Charles-Barclay respectively in the battle for the Singapore title.

The first 14 men and women unveiled on Thursday qualified automatically based on their PTO world rankings and they will be joined by six others, who will be announced later.

Neumann had come out of the swim in Ibiza in sixth spot, but the Australian powered past his rivals in the cycle and run legs to beat Olympic champions Blummenfelt (2020), Jan Frodeno (2008) and Alistair Brownlee (2012, 2016) and claim victory in the Tour’s 2023 curtain-raiser.

The 28-year-old said: “The win in Ibiza was definitely the biggest of my career to date, so having another opportunity to back it up in Singapore against all the best athletes in the world is one I’m looking forward to. I think freshness is key... It’s a very hard thing to master, but I’ve not raced since Ibiza and put in some solid training blocks in Australia, similar to what I did ahead of that win.”

His compatriot Gentle will have an advantage here as she previously finished third in the women’s eliminator race in the 2019 Super League Triathlon Singapore held at Sentosa. But she will face stiff competition, with the top three PTO women athletes – including European leg winner Haug – travelling here for the Asian Open.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games mixed-team relay gold medallist said: “I have raced in Singapore a couple of times… I have a feel for the place, but with the PTO Asian Open, the race experience will go to the next level for the professionals.”

Earlier this week, Olympic swimming champion Joseph Schooling

announced that he will compete

in the 100km triathlon for experienced amateurs as part of a relay team with other Singapore athletes. On top of the 100km triathlons for professionals and experienced amateurs, the PTO is hosting two duathlon races alongside The Music Run, which will have a soundtrack that features the participants’ favourite hits.