PETALING JAYA: Malaysian triathletes Martyn Lim and Esther Joy Chen are staking a strong claim for the Thailand SEA Games in December after commanding victories in the elite sprint races at the South-East Asia (SEA) Triathlon Federation Championships at Marina Island Pangkor Resort and Hotel yesterday.

Martyn, who finished fifth overall and was the fastest Malaysian last year, went one better this time by clocking 1’03:57 to clinch the men’s title, which featured a 750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run.