Ellis bucks food poisoning, bags triathlon silver in gutsy SEA Games stint

Kira Ellis clocked 1:01:03 to finish behind Indonesian champion Martina Ayu Pratiwi (1:00:11).

POC Media Bureau

RAYONG, Thailand – From hospital to the podium.

With little time to get back to full strength after a bout with food poisoning Wednesday night, Kira Ellis returned to action and turned in a gutsy performance Friday to cop the silver in the elite women’s sprint triathlon.

“It was a crazy lead-up to the individual (race),” said the 19-year-old Ellis, the most bemedaled Philippine triathlete who opened her 33rd Southeast Asian Games account with runner-up finishes in aquathlon's all-women and mixed team relays Tuesday then snagged the gold medals in the same events in triathlon the next day.

“I got food poisoning after the triathlon relays (Wednesday) and I was in the hospital that night so we were kind of just resting the day before this just to try and get better. But I'm lucky I got it (silver).”

Ellis waged a lonely battle as the other Philippine bet, Raven Alcoseba, couldn’t answer the starting gun. Alcoseba suffered similar symptoms Thursday and spent the wee hours before race time in the hospital on IV fluids.

“I’m really heartbroken that we couldn't race together because I know how hard she worked and I know what we can do together. But I'm happy I just got to the start line and did my best for the Philippines,” she said.

Ellis clocked 1:01:03 to finish behind Indonesian champion Martina Ayu Pratiwi (1:00:11).

“I'm just happy to be starting. Before the race, I was already feeling like pooping so coming out with the first set of girls was really good and being the first girl on the bike was good just to put some pressure on the other girls.”

The sickness, she admitted, played a factor in her bid to regain the women’s diadem after Kim Mangrobang’s three-peat reign ended in 2023 in Cambodia.

“I would like to say it didn't but it definitely did. Not getting good rest and doing four events before and then not getting sleep and just puking for an hour straight was not ideal,” she said.

“”So it definitely did take a toll on my energy but the training is there. I knew despite everything we just have to block that and just give our best. There's nothing we can do now so it's good.”