Ironman 70.3: Local Triathletes in Panama

Following Stéphane Lenoir and Fabien Husson’s participation in the Ironman 70.3 in Puerto Rico (JSB1657), twelve triathletes from Saint Barth were among the 1,159 registered participants at the start line in Panama on Sunday, March 22. The participants first swam 1.9 km on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal, followed by a 90-km bike ride, and finished with a 21-km run. The Saint-Barth delegation includes seasoned veterans of the distance—Matthieu and Pierre Chassaigne, Jean Edmond Amblard, Gilles Reynal, Philippe Rossoni, Sébastien Plasse, Maxime Affre, Alexandre Dagorn, Christopher Bassage, and David Lestas—as well as newcomers Romain Clementi and Jérôme Beudin, who are experiencing the event for the first time. “It all started last year when I saw the team’s photo in Puerto Rico in the newspaper,” recalls Jérôme Beudin. “That was the turning point: I told myself I wanted to be on the next one. So I trained for a year to join the Saint-Barth group for this Panama Half-Ironman. For a first-timer, the experience with the guys was incredible. As for the race, the swim was fast thanks to the very strong current, but you had to stay super alert so as not to miss the exit! The bike course was great with impeccable roads, which allowed me to start the run with plenty of energy left. Despite the really intense heat, I managed to make a smooth transition and I’m super happy with my final time. An unforgettable experience with a top-notch team.”

Matthieu Chassaigne (SBH Triathlon) was the first triathlete from Saint-Barth to cross the finish line with a time of 4:24:59, placing 4th in his age group (M24-29) and 34th overall. Less than 30 minutes later, it was his father’s turn to cross the line with a time of 4:53:57. Pierre Chassaigne took third place on the podium in his M55-59 category and once again qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, which will take place in Nice this coming September. “I’ll be representing the Handi Relais Saint-Barth association again this year in competitions,” says Pierre Chassaigne. Close behind were Romain Clementi (5:02:16), Jean Edmond Amblard (SBH Triathlon - 5:27:09), Gilles Reynal (SBH Triathlon - 5:37:54), Maxime Affre (5:43:11), Alexandre Dagorn (5:45:08), Jérôme Beudin (SBH Triathlon - 5:47:48), Philippe Rossoni (SBH Triathlon - 5:57:43), Christopher Bassage (6:07:07), Sébastien Plasse (SBH Triathlon - 6:15:15), and David Lestas (6:44:03).
Congratulations to everyone.