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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

French triathlete Chane bags 2023 Xterra Musandam title

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MUSANDAM: French triathlete Maxim Chane claimed the overall title of the first-ever 2023 Xterra Musandam in the Middle East which concluded at the historic Khasab Fort in Oman’s Musandam Governorate on Saturday.


The winner of 2021 Europe Triathlon Xterra Cross Championships, Dolomiti Paganella, completed the full course race which included 1.5 km open-ocean swim in the Sea of Oman, 30 km mountain-bike and 10km trail-run route that traced its way through much of Musandam’s spectacular desert-mountain terrain in a time of 2:06:06.


Italian Gianfranco Cucco came in second with a timing of 2:21:12 followed by Italian triathlete Marta Menditto who completed the race in 2:39:18. Marta was also the first overall female finisher as she bagged the crown after registering a timing of 2:39:18 followed by Ana Celia Creus Del Campo in second with a timing of 2:47:36. Mia Anna Andersson finished third (3:05:59).


“It was a different experience for me from other races I have attended before. I enjoyed the first-ever Xterra race in the Middle East in Oman’s Musandam Governorate. During all the race days, every day in Khasab has been a cultural learning experience that definitely I will never forget,” top world triathlete Maxim Chane said after the event.


The official closing ceremony for the 2023 Xterra Musandam took place at the Khasab Fort in the presence of Mubarak Ali al Rahbi, President of Musandam Governor Office, and Engineer Nasser al Hosni, Director-General of Musandam Municipality, Mohamed Khalfan al Obaidani, CEO & Founder of Triathlon Middle East. He delivered the awards to the top winners of all the events and categories of race.


ISSA TAKES 10KM TRAIL RUN TITLE


Earlier on the first day of the event, a thrilling Xterra Musandam 10km Trail Run and Xterra Musandam 21km Trail Half Marathon started with tough competitions among the elite triathlete across the world. Omani runner Issa al Kamzari managed to take the overall title of the 10km Trail Run event while for the 21km Trail Half Marathon men’s event, Maxim Chane took the overall win and Marta Menditto won the women’s event.


The first edition of 2023 Xterra Musandam offered a combined $23,000 prize purse for the winners, which included a $16,000 pro prize purse for the main event, and $7,000 prize purse for the Trail Run.


The final closing ceremony also witnessed delivering awards to the official event sponsors of the 2023 Xterra Musandam including the Governorate of Musandam, Musandam Municipality, ROP, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Public Authority for SME Development besides other private sector sponsors including the global energy company Oxy, Triathlon Middle East and the European tour partners for the event included Zoggs, Vittoria and Elle-Erre.


The action of 2023 Xterra Musandam began on Thursday with a fun and festive atmosphere with the opening of the official 2023 Xterra Musandam Race Village at Khasab Fort. The Xterra Kids Fun Run for boys and girls also went ahead with much success and served to inspire a sporting spirit among the young athletes. A total of 28 slots were also made available for the 2023 Xterra World Championship on September 23 in Molveno, Trentino, Italy.


Mohammed bin Khalfan al Obaidani, Chairman of Oman Triathlon Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Trime.om (organisers) said: ”The 2023 Xterra Musandam proved to be a significant success for the Musandam Governorate as it highlighted Musandam and Oman as a premium destination in the Middle East for hosting world-class, globally-recognised sporting events. We had a fantastic response from the athletes taking part – who were delighted with the stunning natural beauty of the Musandam Peninsula. Our team were also very proud to witness the warm welcome shown by the local Musandam community to all foreign athletes taking part – as they welcomed them to their magnificent land.”


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