Ben Madilynn
Veteran Davao City-based swimming coach Haroon Cali claimed the men’s 30 to 39 division title for the Philippines in the Ultraoceanman 25 km event held in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on Sunday, September 29, 2024 (Philippine time).
Cali, founder of the HC Mantas Swimming Club, completed the 25-kilometer race in six hours, 41 minutes, and 54.76 seconds (6:41:54.76), beating Gyorgyi Zoltan of Great Britain (6:47:05.65), Colla Francesco of Italy (9:12:57.08), and Kushwaha Avinash of India (9:41:34.15), who placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.
Cali also finished fifth overall in the men’s individual category, trailing behind top four finishers Rachapov Rishat of Kazakhstan (5:33:32.50, men’s 20-29), Volpi Laura of Italy (5:49:44.65, women’s 50-59), Amar Alain of France (6:08:28.83, men’s 40-49), and Adilkhanov Madi of Kazakhstan (6:34:15.84, men’s 20-29).
In a Messenger interview with SunStar Davao, Cali said, “I’m so proud sa akong self. I can’t believe na mahuman nko ang race eventhough short lang akong preparation sa dula ky ang visa late na kaayo ni gawas. Special siya kay this is my longest open water swim na ako na join (I’m so proud of myself. I can’t believe I finished the race, even though I had very little preparation because my visa came out so late. It’s special because this is the longest open-water swim I’ve ever joined).”
