The Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) plans to send eight athletes to a high performance training camp in Portugal as part of its program next year.
TRAP president Tom Carrasco said they are looking at four male and four female triathletes to train under Portuguese coach Sergio Santos to also bolster the country’s preparations to the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May.
“It’s going to be a 60- to 75-day camp in March and April next year,” said Carrasco.
Carrasco added they are going to work on the travel documentations in January and February as they anticipate more requirements needed due to the pandemic situation.
The association will also weight in the results of the National Triathlon Trials they are eyeing to organize in Subic following the successful staging of the National Duathlon Trials in Clark over the weekend.
Reigning SEAG triathlon champion Kim Mangrobang has trained extensively under Santos last year in her bid to earn a berth to the Tokyo Olympics last August.
Mangrobang returned to the country and participated in the National Duathlon Trials, which she dominated along with fellow SEAG triathlon gold medalist John Chicano.
The PH team collected three gold and two silver medals in triathlon at the 2019 SEAG held in the country. It also bagged one gold, one silver and one bronze in duathlon.
The 31st SEAG stakes four gold medals in triathlon.