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Ironman 70.3: Local Athlete Dies During Race

March 27, 2023
byTJ1206 views

A seasoned swimming coach from Davao lost his life during the swimming section of the Ironman 70.3 race in Davao City yesterday.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the race organizers revealed that the athlete was given medical attention during the event and was taken to a nearby hospital. However, medical professionals failed to resuscitate the athlete. They also extended their condolences to the athlete’s family and friends.

Various local reports identified the victim as Jerry Kasim, a 49-year-old swimming coach who has provided swimming training to swimmers in the area. Kasim lives in the Island Garden City of Samal. He was buried today following a 24-hour customary Muslim burial.

Kasim came from a family of swimmers who represented his city and region in several Palarong Pambansa and National Prisaa Games. He became a swimming coach for age-group swimmers after graduating.

Sanita Kasim Soreny, his sister and former national dragon boat team member, said they weren’t aware of his brother’s condition before the race. She also described her older brother as kind and willing to help despite his financial limitations.

He is survived by two children, the eldest a coach for the DMMA College Southern Philippines swimming team.

OkBet extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Kasim.

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International Athletes Win Davao Ironman Event

Despite the tragic loss, Ironman 70.3 was still a resounding success. Nearly 1,700 athletes from 49 countries participated in the race.

Two athletes stood on top of the large pool of triathletes yesterday. Filipe Azevedo of Portugal and Australia’s Sarah Crowley were crowned race champions after establishing their grip during the bike leg.

The 30-year-old Azevedo managed to keep up with Serbia’s Ognjen Stojanovic and Taiwan’s Tuan Chun Chang during the swim. However, his strong performance on the bikes allowed him to finish first. He finished with a 3:51:09 time under the city’s sweltering conditions.

Meanwhile, Crowley had to fend off Lauren Brandon of the USA and United Arab Emirates athlete Lottie Lucas to win. She crossed the finish line at 4:20:14, almost three minutes faster than Brandon.

Read more: Embiid vs Jokic: Who Will Win the 2023 MVP Race?



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