By REY ANTHONY CHIU

Australian professional tri-athletes and a Frenchwoman are getting raves as the race favorites in the new Bohol 2014 Safeguard Active 5150 Triathlon, but, never put down the Filipino. Out to pose a serious threat to the nest of the best in world professional women tri-athletes is a Filipina who will bring the Philippine name in the newly established swim-bike-run course in this resort island of Panglao. Monica Torres, a Filipina who has led the country's female athletes stepping into the international races in the most recent years, chose to be coy, sitting calmly and politely refusing the microphone during the Pros meets the Press Conference a day before the 5150 international distance marathon takes the Panglao-Dauis central highway on Sunday, September 28. She, along with a company of serious international racers who have made triathlon their way of life, would be pitting against each other on the 1.5 kilometer swim, 40 kilometer bike and 10 kilometer international distance race, for a total log of 51.50 kilometers, thus, 5i50.

As she glints at the harsh glare of led lights and makes the Philippine presence known to international professional racers, Torres has indeed a lot of worries to contend with. She will be running side by side with a 3rdplacer in the 2014 Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines and 2nd Placer in the 2014 Century Tuna 5150 Triathlon Philippines. Belinda Granger, an Australian tri-athlete has also won the 2014 Challenge Taiwan and placed second in the 2014 Laguna Long Co Triathlon, all of those in 2014. Also, the Filipino contender would be up against Ashleigh Gentle, another Australian who has placed 9th in the 2013 Omega-wave World Elite Women Triathlon San Diego, 2010 World Junior Champion and the 2012 First Place o the Noosa Triathlon. Carole Fuchs, the Frenchwoman is also one of Monica Torres' serious pains. Fuchs won first place in the 2013 Laguna Challenge in Thailand, and stamped the same spot for herself at the Amarin-Cha Am Triathlon also in Thailand. She also won 4th in the 2014 Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya Malaysia and the 2014 Golden Triangle International Triathlon. But, as many probably did not know it, Torres also packs a nasty surprise of her own. She may have placed 7th in the 2014 Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines or 3rd in the 2014 Century Tuna 5150 Triathlon Philippines, she has her 2014 Challenge Philippines 1st place belt. Herself a professional and elite triathlete, Torres will also be competing with her co-Filipinas: Marie Claire Adorna, Jenny Rose Guerero and Ani Carina Brown.

WIDE-OPEN RACE UP IN SAFEGUARD ACTIVE 5i50 TRIATHLON IN BOHOL

With last year's pro champions Mitch Robbins and Esther Dudaz begging off to honor previous commitments, the fight for this year's titles in the 2014 Safeguard Active 5i50 Triathlon is expected to be fierce when the event is fired off Sept. 28 in Bohol (Bellevue Hotel).For one, a total of 650 triathletes from 28 countries will slug it out for top honors in the keenly awaited swim-bike-run event, led by a number of veteran campaigners and a slew of rising stars. The new course in Bohol is also expected to provide a different kind of challenge for the competing field, making it doubly interesting for the competitors and triathlon fans alike. Robbins topped the male pro side while Dudaz dominated the ladies section of the event in Subic last year. But despite their absence, the depth of the competing field remains as talent-laden as ever with Aussies Eric Watson, Josh Amberger, Justin Granger and Michael Murphy tipped to lead the chase in their side and Frenchwoman Carole Fuchs and Aussies Ashleigh Gentle and Belinda Granger expected to fight it out in the ladies side. Prizes up for grabs will be $10,000 in the pro division and P120,000 in the elite category. This event is sponsored by Safeguard Active, with Bellevue Resort as the official hotel, and 2Go as the official courier and logistics provider. In its second year as title sponsor, Safeguard Active addresses athletes' need for superior skin germ protection. Safeguard Active encourages athletes to protect their bodies' first line of defense, the skin, with products that remove and guard against sickness- and odor-causing germs.

Other sponsors are Aqua Sphere, Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, David's Salon, Devant, Intercare, Planet Sports, Prudential Guarantee, Rudy Project, Smart, The Philippine STAR and Zoot. Focus will also be on Monica Torres, the elite champion of the last two editions of the Century Tuna 5150, who will be vying in the pro class against the best of the crop. She also dominated the Asian elite division of the 2014 Challenge Philippines with the lone Filipina pro campaigner hoping to buck the odds in the upcoming event. Meanwhile, John Leerams Chicano, Banjo Norte and Nikko Huelgas, the top three Filipino male elite winners last year, are again expected to dispute the crown while Marie Claire Adorna goes for back-to-back in the female elite side against last year's runner-up Jenny Rose Guerrero and Ani Carina Brown among others. Watson, a former Bunburry Olympic Distance and Mandurah Olmpic Distance State champion, placed fourth in the recent Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon Philippines in Subic and ended up sixth in the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines in Cebu, while Amberger is raring to finally nail the big one after finishing sixth in Ironman 70.3 St. Croix, fourth in Ironman 70.3 Boise and second in Ironman 70.3 Muncie.

The veteran Granger is also seeking his first win this year after placing sixth in the Laguna lang Co Triathlon, second in the Challenge Taiwan and fifth in Cobra Ironman while Murphy is fancied to contend for the crown after winning the Golden Triangle International Triathlon and turning in three runner-up finishes this year in Challenge Philippines, Laguna Lang Co. Triathlon and Century Tuna 5i50 Philippines. Fuchs looms as the triathlete to beat in the distaff side with three victories this year – the Challenge Laguna and the Amarin Cha Am Triathlon, both in Thailand, and the Golden Triangle International Triathlon. Out to foil her bid are Belinda Granger and Gentle with the former out to score a follow-up to her victory in 2014 Challenge Taiwan and improve on her second place finish in Century Tuna in Subic and third place effort in Cobra Ironman in Cebu. The comely Gentle, on the other hand, is out to make an impact in the event, her first big competition this year. This event is produced and organized by Sunrise Events, Inc.