SINGAPORE – Among the star-studded field who dived into Marina Bay on April 14 were two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee and Ironman world champion Sam Laidlow. But it was a wild card, Youri Keulen of the Netherlands, who stole the show at the T100 in Singapore.
And in equally dramatic fashion, the 25-year-old collapsed after crossing the finish line in 3hr 21min 1sec – his body spent from racing in the 32 deg C heat and 70 per cent humidity.
Competing in only his second T100 triathlon after finishing fourth in Miami on March 9 – he was one of four wildcard entries here – Keulen was quickly carted off to the medical tent and eventually taken to hospital. He only managed to say: “I’m delighted with the win but I’m exhausted.”
Sam Long (3:22:38) of the United States and Belgium’s Pieter Heemeryck (3:23:30) were second and third in the 100km race comprising a 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run.
While a new champion was crowned at Marina Bay, it was a day to forget for France’s Laidlow and Briton Brownlee, who did not manage to finish the race due to illness and calf problems respectively. The other non-finishers were American Ben Kanute and Dane Daniel Baekkegard.
It was Keulen who dominated the day, as he emerged 10th out of the water in 25:01 and wrested the lead at the 25km mark of the cycle leg.
Like in Miami where he was also second, Long was last out of the water again and had to play catch-up throughout. The gritty American climbed to eighth on his bike and then turned on the after-burners in the run.
“I only lost four minutes in the swim and I’ve always been known for biking strong.” said Long. “And I was just having a super fun day out there and just in my own zone, in my own process, in the flow state and it just all came together.”
Heemeryck, who finished second behind Olympic gold medallist Kristian Blummenfelt in 2023, when the event was known as the Professional Triathlon Organisation Asian Open, had to settle for third this time.
He said: “Last year I was a little bit better, but yeah, maybe this year it is earlier in the season.
“Not in the shape that I hope to be and it’s a long season, but twice (getting) the podium here so it’s very good. Second and third, maybe next time I’ll have to come back for first.”
More than 6,000 people took part in the two-day event in the T100 and duathlon.
Spectators around the race course on April 14 would have caught Olympic swimming champion Joseph Schooling in action in the duathlon relay with his teammates, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Sembawang GRC MP Poh Li San.
It was the second outing for Schooling, who did the swim leg in 2023 but chose to cycle this time.
He said: “My only target was to make sure I have enough energy to go makan and enjoy my Sunday, not like last year where I slept for 48 hours straight. Last year was a lot more tiring, swimming 2km in the hot water was way more tiring than riding 16km.
“I’ve ridden twice since Covid and it so happened to be two times in the past week. I figured the less I do, the less I know, the better we’ll be on race day.”
