Els Visser, a Dutch professional triathlete, is on a remarkable streak, aiming for her third podium finish in as many weeks at the Challenge Taiwan Half event. Her recent wins include the IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu in the Philippines, adding to an impressive season tally of six podium finishes so far.
With a strong performance at the T100 Triathlon World Tour in Singapore and slots secured at the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, Visser is proving to be a force to reckon with in the triathlon circuit this year.
In the women’s field, Visser faces competition from athletes like Lottie Lucas from the United Arab Emirates and Swiss athlete Nina Derron. Lucas, coming off a successful 2023 season with podium finishes in various races, will be challenging Visser for the first time this year.
Meanwhile, Derron, a Doctor of Clinical Science, aims to break her podium drought since 2019 with a strong performance in Taiwan after finishing fifth in the Philippines.
The men’s field at Challenge Taiwan Half is led by Filipe Azevedo from Portugal, who is making his season debut after a disappointing end to the previous year. Australian contenders Kurt McDonald and Caleb Noble, along with Kiwi athletes Jack Moody and Sam Osborne, are also set to compete.
Osborne, with consecutive podium finishes in Geelong and Cebu, is a notable contender. Local athlete Tuan Chun Chang, who is aiming to replicate or improve upon his third-place finish from the previous year, represents Taiwan.
The Challenge Taiwan Half event is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, with the professional field starting at 07:30 local time. Live updates will be available on race day through Challenge Family’s social media channels.
Athletes will be competing for a total prize purse of $19,000, with payouts extending to the top six finishers. The prize money breakdown includes €3,500 for first place, €2,100 for second, €1,400 for third, €1,150 for fourth, €850 for fifth, and €500 for sixth place.
