NATIONAL team member Rambo Chicano has his eyes on his first triathlon gold in the Southeast Asian Games.
After a runner-up finish in the Black Arrow Express 5150, the Olongapo City native feels good about his chances in the biennial meet set from November 30 to December 11.
He clocked 2:05:23, behind by a minute and 12 second to winner Fernando Jose Casares (2:04:35) in the Asian Elite category in the Olympic-distance race in Subic.
“Syempre andoon pa rin ‘yung mindset na maka-gold para sa Philippines,” he said. “Doon lang kami nakatingin ngayon.”
Chicano, who bagged the silver medal in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, will taper off with his preparations after Sunday's race.
“Kaunting adjustment pa siguro then okay na tayo,” he said. “Sa ngayon nasa 80 percent pa lang sa goal namin.”
Although the route for the SEA Games triathlon race will be different, last weekend’s race was already a good test for Chicano.
The 10km run course, which started with a 5km uphill run, was a lot harder than the race of the biennial meet, top triathletes concede.
“Iba ‘yung ruta sa SEA Games, mas flat siya,” he said.