Previous Story
70-year-old qualifies for Worlds; amputee impressive in 1st Ironman
-
- Kazu Miyokawa, left, along with friend and triathlon veteran Imai Masaki pose with their Ironman 70.3 Saipan tokens during the awards ceremony held last Saturday at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan. (Erwin Encinares)
-
- Uda Hideki of Japan continues in the bike leg after making his turn about at the Bird Island Lookout during Saturday’s Ironman 70.3 Saipan. (Mackenzie Perez)
You can say that Kazu Miyokawa won his age group by default, as the 70-year-old Japanese triathlete punched his ticket to the Ironman World Championship 2017 by competing unopposed in the super senior division of last Saturday’s inaugural Ironman 70.3 Saipan.
The Japanese veteran triathlete, who has been in the Ironman scene for the past 30 years, finished with a time of 7:31:14. Miyokawa finished the 1.9-kilometer swim in 49:44, the 90K bike leg in 3:38:09, and the 21.2K run leg in 2:55:13.
“I’ve been training everyday for about 30 years straight,” Miyokawa told Saipan Tribune. Miyokawa said he is in great shape and he owes it all to his routine, which he said basically has became “a part of [my] life.”
“I train everyday and I eat right. I believe eating right is very important.”
Miyokawa mentioned that he joins two to three triathlons in Japan a year. Given that he finished the grueling race within the cutoff time, Miyokawa would be attending the Ironman World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee this September.
Amputee finishes 6th in age group
Miyokawa’s countryman, Uda Hideki, meanwhile, left fellow triathletes and onlookers alike amazed after the amputee finished sixth in the men’s 30-34 age group.
Hideki crossed the tape in a time of 6:32:04 while using only one arm. His swimming time was 42:09, while his bike split was 3:14:04 before completing the run in 2:30:36.
Competing against his more able-bodied peers, Hideki finished his first Ironman in the Top 50 at 46th place overall.
“I trained for this specific Ironman for two years. This is my first year joining the Ironman,” he told Saipan Tribune. “It was so tiring and long. It was very hard.”
Hideki said he regularly trains for short triathlons in Japan. “I especially concentrate my training on swimming,” he said. “I am happy that I finished the triathlon, but I feel more relieved that it is over.”
