Margot Morokot Garabedian
SEA Games champion Margot Morokot Garabedian has delivered Cambodia’s first medal at the ongoing Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.
The 30-year-old Margot finished 26 seconds behind China’s Lin Xinyu to settle with a silver in the women’s individual aquathlon race at the Sanya Bay Photography Base.
Cambodia’s second athlete in the competition, Phal Sreyphpoung was disqualified after failing to serve the time penalty.
Margot, who won the aquathlon as well as the triathlon events at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, finished well ahead of another Chinese aquathlete, Lu Meiyu. The Chinese finished 32 seconds behind Margot.
Margot is a former world champion in the event, having represented France when she bagged the world crown in 2021.
In the race today, she came undone in the second running leg where she finished a good 24 seconds behind Xinyu.
Both athletes were separated by only five seconds after the first running leg os 2.5km. Xinyu finished in 8:27,
just two second ahead of teammate Meiyi while Margot clocked in at 8:32.
It was a good effort from Margot in the swimming leg as she overcame the deficit to set the fasted time in the 1km swim. She had whittled down the lead and emerged out of the water just one second behind Xinyu.
But all that effort came undone in the final run leg as she faded out in 8:57 as compared to the energetic 8:33 clocked by Xinyu.
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s hopes in the Jiu Jitsu men’s -62 hg came to an end in the second round.
UAE’s Omar Al Suwaidi defeated Operana Kaimoni Richhavath in the Round of 16. Omar dominated the bout and eventually won by submission.
Earlier in the first round, Operana had defeated Iranian Nazemi Harandi Ali by submission.
