French professional triathlete Benjamin “Benji” Sanson is the latest person to sign up for the Digicel Wadadli Tinman and joins the list of high profile athletes slated for the half-iron distance triathlon on January 29, 2012.

The Tinman is a unique sporting challenge with competitors in four sports; swimming, cycling, running, and triathlon competing over a gruelling 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile cycle, and 13.1-mile run.

Benji will now be among the clear favourites to be crowned champion of the first ever Tinman along with Argentina’s Claudio Delpeuche, Nevis’ Reginald ‘Reggie’ Douglas, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Andre Simon. The four accomplished triathletes have been named as ambassadors of the Digicel Wadadli Tinman and will seek to focus the attention of the global triathlon community on Antigua and Barbuda.

40-year-old Benji,  a professional triathlete for almost 20 years including competion at the ITU and Ironman levels, is probably most famous for his exploits in the swimming leg of triathlon. As a former youth world champion swimmer, Benji almost always conquers the swim leg in first place including at the most competitive of races in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

“I know Claudio, he is a very good athlete but I hope to win..."

Yet Benji’s talents are not limited to one portion of the event as he often posts one of the fastest bike splits and his overall ability has seen him capture numerous titles and top finishes in Olympic distance, half-Ironman and Ironman triathlons across the world.

Benji and Claudio in particular will provide some intense competition with the two having met once before in California. Benji took first and Claudio took third place in a close race. “I know Claudio, he is a very good athlete but I hope to win,” Sanson said.

The former world champion swimmer also hopes to spend some time assisting the local swim clubs while on island. To that extent plans are to host a day for young swimmers to meet with and test themselves against the pro triathlete. And with impressive swim times of 1’49 for the 200m, 3’47 for the 400, 7’51 for the 800m and 15’00 for the 1500m freestyle, it should be a fun day.

For more information on the details of the first Tinman competition, click here, contact Rory Butler or Andre Simon on facebook, or call 286.720.6492/782.7404.