Megh Shivalkar, 21, from Belagavi completed the Ironman triathlon World Championships in Hawai in the U.S., on October 9. He completed the multi-event race in Kailua-Kona in Hawai with a timing of 13:44:35 hours.
This race included a 3.8 km sea-swim, 180 km of biking, and 42.2 km running in succession. To qualify as a finisher, the tasks must be completed in less than 17 hours.
Megh Shivalkar, an engineering graduate from Gogte Institute of Technology, has now joined a university in the U.S. as a post graduate student. He is now a student of Mechanical Robotics and Controls systems at North Eastern university in Boston.
He had earlier won the race in Kazakhstan on August 14 and got qualified for the international Ironman. By winning the Kazakhstan race, Megh Shivalkar became the youngest Indian to do so, his mother and international athlete Mayura Shivalkar said. She has completed ironman and half ironman events in India and outside.
“He called to say that there were over 5,000 athletes from 92 countries. The conditions at Kailua-Kona Hawai were challenging as the temperature was 33-35 degrees Celius. There were dead volcanoes in the town and a very heavy head and tail winds and crosswind. But he finished. We are elated!, she said.
The ironman triathlon world championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978 (with an additional race in 1982).
