Français
The results were announced a little too late to be included in the previous issue of the JSB. On Sunday, September 13, two members of the Saint-Barth Triathlon club delivered strong performances at the Ironman 70.3 in Belgrade, Serbia. Aleksandar Marinkovic and Arthur Cohan finished the race in 5 hours, 16 minutes and 4 hours, 33 minutes, respectively. “They brilliantly represented the colors of SBH Triathlon,” the club said.
Aleksandar Marinkovic was competing in the Belgrade Ironman for the third consecutive year. His goal was to improve on his 2025 time of 5 hours and 37 minutes. He achieved this goal with flying colors, shaving 21 minutes off his previous time. “My first source of satisfaction came from the swim, which I completed in 38 minutes—nearly 8 minutes faster than last year—and I felt great doing it,” the athlete said. Next, “despite the cold and the wind,” he covered the 90-kilometer bike course in 2 hours and 49 minutes at an average speed of 32 km/h. Although he says he felt comfortable as he began the run, pain in his left hamstring flared up starting at the 10-kilometer mark. That didn’t stop him from finishing the run in 1 hour and 39 minutes. At the finish line, Aleksandar Marinkovic clocked a time about 1 hour and 20 minutes faster than his first Ironman. That’s definitely something to be fully satisfied with!
“Frozen Feet and Body”
His “colleague” Arthur Cohan had set slightly higher goals when he arrived in the Serbian capital. He wanted to finish this Ironman in around 4 hours and 30 minutes. Once again, he achieved his goal. “I really enjoyed the experience, both athletically and personally,” says Arthur. “Belgrade is a great city, and being able to share this weekend with Aleksandar, his sister, and my parents—who came to support me—allowed me to fully enjoy the experience and be in great spirits.” While he felt very comfortable in the swim, he struggled more on the bike. “That was supposed to be my strong suit,” the athlete notes. “The bike leg ended up being the hardest part.” He explains: “When I got out of the water, it was only 13 °C and very windy. I had a really hard time warming up; my feet and body were frozen for the first 30 to 40 kilometers, before the sun came up.” However, the triathlete is resilient. During the half-marathon, that “great feeling” returned and carried him all the way to the finish line. “It’s a great sense of accomplishment and, above all, a big step forward since my first 70.3 earlier this year,” Arthur says.
Both men, of course, thank the Saint-Barth Triathlon for its support.
Results
• Aleksandar Marinkovic: 61st out of 131 in the 35–39 age group, 388th out of 962 in the men’s standings, and 419th out of 1,150 overall.
• Arthur Cohan: 23rd out of 175 in the 25–29 age group, 110th out of 962 in the men’s standings, and 112th out of 1,150 overall.
