Amputee finishes Tagaman Triathlon

Japan’s Miho Hamada celebrates as he nears the finish line of last Saturday’s Tagaman Triathlon. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

An amputee drew the loudest cheers at the finish line of last Saturday’s Tagaman Triathlon.

Japan’s Miho Hamada, who wears a carbon fibre running blade, completed the Olympic distance race in 4:47:48, leaving those at the finish line snapping photos of him in awe.

“Wow,” Jing Bordon exclaimed while shooting footages of Hamada’s finish.

“It’s very inspiring,” said J.M. Guerrero, one of the founders of Tagaman.

It was not the first time that Tagaman lured a participant with special needs, as Japanese Hirotaka Sugimoto, who was blind, did the race in 1989, while tied to his guide. The then 69-year-old’s moving tale happened again in the silver anniversary of Tagaman as the brave Hamada negotiated the course. He timed in at 15:43 in the one-kilometer swim, placing ahead of 24 other swimmers. In the 40K bike, Hamada, who entered the 40 to 49 age group, submitted 1:52:09, which was faster than seven others. He had the slowest time in the 10K run after tallying 2:22:46, but he was undoubtedly the most photographed at the finish line where his wife and daughter waited for him. The Japanese “blade triathlete” even finished ahead of an able participant.

Bucher, Epperson rule divisions

Guam pro Charlie Epperson and seven-time XTERRA Saipan champion Renata Bucher topped the men’s and women’s divisions of the Olympic distance course.

Epperson cut the tape at the 2:20:58 mark to beat 44 other individual finishers, while Bucher was the second overall finisher with her time of 2:31:06. The Guam pro had split times of 12:08 1:24:37, and 44:13 to beat Japan’s Danai Kuangparichat (2:37:26), Korea’s Yu Hun Park (2:39:37), Saipan’s Peter Prestley (2:42:33) and Nap Dizon (2:43:30), and Guam’s Oliver Cerbo (2:44:34).

In the women’ division, Bucher, who recorded split times of 12:11, 1:24:13, and 54:42, prevailed against Korea’s Eun Keong Sung (2:34:51), and Saipan’s Kaitlin Mattos (3:05:13) and Kanae Quinn (3:08:13).

Meanwhile, six other female triathletes completed the Olympic distance course. The list includes Saipan’s Amy Sletten (3:00:21), Kathy Ruszala (3:46:58), Shawna Brennfleck (3:33:17), and Lori Hutchison (3:03:47), and Japan’s Emi Kawakita (4:11:36) and Kiyomi Watanabe (3:18:31).

In the men’s division, 28 others made it to the finish line led by top placers (different age groups) Jerome Diyco (2:47:33), Eric Cooke (3:14:05), Yudai Ono (3:30:49), Jae Yeong Jeong (2:47:32), Shinji Nonomura (2:59:14), John Arceo (3:05:16), Paul Anthony (2:52:09), Manny Sitchon (3:14:05), and Joshua Berger (3:24:43).