After just one-and-a-half years in the sport, the country's top female triathlete, Kimbeley Yap, will mark another milestone in her career by taking part in the Doha Asian Games. Kimbeley sprang a surprise last December when she won the gold medal in the Manila SEA Games. She went on to compete in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March but it was too big a stage for her and Kimbeley finished 22nd in a field of 25 competitors.
The Doha Asiad race, which will be held at the Al-Corniche Triathlon Course, will use the Olympic format – swimming (1,500m), cycling (40km) and running (10km). It offers Kimbeley another chance to prove herself and it will certainly be tough for her to get among the medals against Asia's best. But the odds against her have only made Kimbeley more determined to prove herself.
"I have only been a triathlete for a very short time. But I have worked really hard to get to this stage. Now I have the chance to race against the best in Asia," said the 21-year-old Kimbeley, who is a Category A athlete in the Malaysian contingent. "I am glad to get the opportunity to race against triathletes from China and Japan who are ranked among the top 10 in the world. I will get to know for sure what is my standard against them. My biggest worry is the weather conditions. I have received reports that the weather is expected to be difficult with hot and dry conditions. The water is also expected to be very cold. I will leave for Doha on Dec 4, which is four days before the competition. I hope there will be enough time for me to adapt to the conditions there."
Among the three disciplines, Kimbeley hopes to do better in cycling. "I have been going through training to improve, especially on my cycling techniques over the past couple of months. It has paid off a lot because I have made some improvements," she said. "I have also acquired a bicycle sponsor recently. In terms of equipment, I have everything I need for Doha."
Malaysia will also be represented in the men's race. Heidilee Mohamad and Eugene Chan also face an uphill task in Doha. Unlike Kimbeley, the duo are Category B athletes and their expenses to compete in the Games are borne by their national association. Kimbeley is funded by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
All the best to you Kim!!! Make us proud like you did in Manila last year.
By the way, my boss won't be coming to the office today... yesterday we had our company's Aidilfitri Openhouse... and today, I want to be at my workstation & do my things peacefully while listening to my music...
Ssshhhhhh... silent please!! This is what I meant by "peacefully"...
:) mmmmuuuaaahhhhhhh!!!!
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