Sport IN Uae – 5Uae.com

In terms of distance at least, it might not compare with a triathlon. But judging by the triumphant faces that crossed the finish line in the inaugural Salomon Thule Biathle Middle East Championships at the Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort Marina, that hardly mattered.

 Already an established event internationally, the Biathle requires competitors to run, swim and then round it off with another run of the same distance as the initial running leg. The unique sport’s governing body, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) believes its appeal lies in the “relatively short distances” that comprise the three legs which make it less demanding on athletes.

And that was especially highlighted by Niels Oluf Lausen, who won the boys under-16 event despite being on the sidelines for more than a year due to knee injury. “I’m quite happy, because I’ve been out of action for one and a half years owing to injuries to both my knees.

So this gives me a lot of confidence,” said the 14-year-old Dane. Lausen’s satisfaction was enhanced having beaten members of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union under-16 squad to the finish.

“When I saw the rugby players, I said ‘Oh, oh!’ because they looked pretty fit. “But [as it turned out] that’s not the only factor that’s important,” he said. It was not too disappointing for the rugby squad who not only got a good workout but also managed to raise a decent sum of money for their forthcoming tour of China.

The newly formed Arabian Gulf Swimming Academy was also well represented and some of its members pleasantly discovered that their talents extend beyond the pool.

“A lot of us can’t really run too well but it was a great experience to do both,” said a smiling Sophie Radd who cruised to the girls under-16 title in 11min 14sec. Radd’s club teammate Krista Ceplitis, who won the girls under-10 competition, said she found the event “pretty interesting”.

As for the UIPM, the response to the event has left them planning for bigger things in the future.

“We are looking forward to organising a tournament which will be part of the World Tour next March and hopefully a World Championship in November,” said Mihail Kouzev, a Middle East representative of the UIPM.

“It’s been a great start and our aim is to get more local schools on board and encourage more people to do this unique sport,” he added.