Singapore -
A 17-year-old triathlete collapsed after crossing the finish line
of a South-east Asia Games selection race and died soon afterwards,
news reports said on Monday.
Thaddeus Cheong, a first-year student at Raffles Junior College,
swam 1.5 kilometres, cycled 40 kilometres and ran 10 kilometres,
according to The Straits Times.
He clocked a personal best of 2 hours, 9 minutes, coming in third
in the event on Sunday. Then the youth collapsed.
Police classified the case as unnatural death. A coroner's inquiry
will be held.
Cheong was unconscious and foaming at the mouth when he was taken
to Chiangi General Hospital. Doctors were unable to resuscitate
him.
The trial was the first of two to decide the two male and two
female triathletes to represent Singapore in the year-end regional
sports meet.
Cheong looked confident, happy and ready to go before the start,
said Triathlon Association of Singapore senior executive Jerry
Seah.
"He looked fresh throughout the race," participant Sikhander Singh
was quoted as saying. "I had never seen him look better on the
run."
Angeline Chong, the teenager's mother, said her son was so eager to
secure a slot in the games that he had doubled his training stints
to twice daily during school holidays.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/75965.html
RIP..
