Stage Set For Triathlon

CHERNG TALAY: Final preparations are underway for tomorrow’s Thai Airways International Laguna Phuket Triathlon. Australian pros Greg Welch and Jackie Gallagher will be seeking to defend their men’s and women’s titles, as are Paisarn Sangvirul and Napaporn Boonthum, last year’s top finishers in the Thai men’s and women’s amateur divisions. The race will also boast a large contingent of local expatriates looking to tackle the grueling 1.8-kilometer swim, 53-kilometer bike ride and 12-kilometer run. Following registration this afternoon at The Allamanda’s Banburi Room, athletes will receive a race briefing at 5 p.m. and then proceed to the Dusit Laguna Resort Hotel’s Columbia Garden to fill up on carbohydrates at the pre-race pasta party. The race will start at 8 a.m. tomorrow at the beachfront of the Sheraton Grande Laguna Beach resort. The swim-bike and bike-run transition area is located in the car park of the Laguna Beach Club. The first competitor is expected to cross the finish line in the courtyard of the Banyan Tree Phuket at approximately 10 a.m.