There was a three-fold celebration at Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort, near Lisbon – the official hotel of last weekend's Ironman 70.3 Cascais – after resident Vanessa de Sousa Fernandes won the ladies' event.

The former world and European triathlon champion, who lives in a villa on the resort, is using the five-star venue as her training base, and it paid off as she romped home in the Cascais event in an impressive 4hr 33m 12 secs.

But the five-star resort's delight did not end there. General manager Paulo Figueiredo finished fourth in his age category (45) and 29th overall – in 4:30:50 – to qualify for the 2018 world finals in South Africa, just five years after he participated in his first event. And the resort's sales director, João Pinto Coelho, in his first triathlon, completed the event in 5:08:59, securing a place in the top 70 in his age category (35).

The over-subscribed inaugural Ironman 70.3 Cascais saw an entry of 2,200 competitors from 66 different countries and set a record for the fastest sell-out of a debut Ironman event and for the number of 'local' participants.

Stefan Petschnig, the managing director (endurance and active lifestyle) at Infront Sports and Media, and the chairman of Ironman Austria, said: “Quinta da Marinha is a golfers' paradise and, soon, for sure, a Triathlon paradise …”

Pinto Coelho added: “Everybody at Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort is very proud that one of our own, Vanessa, won so impressively in a 'comeback' race. What's more to have another 'one of our own', in Paulo Figueiredo, qualify for the world finals was the icing on the cake.

“Traditionally the resort has been renowned for its golf course, but owing to its exceptional location it's now establishing itself as a great venue for triathlon training and having a living legend using it as a training base is testament to that.”

The multi-award-winning, family-owned Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort – which opened in 1999 and was extensively remodelled in 2014 – is an excellent base for triathletes in training. It also overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is complemented by an outstanding Robert Trent Jones Snr-designed golf course, which dates from 1984.

Part of the 'Great Hotels of the World' portfolio, Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort is an ideal venue to enjoy a romantic break, hold important meetings, play golf, learn to surf, enjoy a cycling break or simply relax in luxury and comfort in the heart of nature. Its facilities include swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurants, 11 meeting rooms, a health club, complimentary beach shuttle service and one of the most beautiful and prestigious golf courses in the region.

Onyria Golf Resorts also owns the nearby, much-acclaimed Monte Mar seafood restaurant which has been frequented by many A-list celebrities including President Bill Clinton.

www.quintadamarinha.com

ENDS

Press release written and distributed by Azalea.

Information for journalists

• The Onyria Golf Resorts group is part of the natural evolution of a project that began around 25 years ago. The group was created to undertake the integrated management of resorts, villas, hotels, golf courses and restaurants.
• Onyria Golf Resorts is a family enterprise and began in 1985, with the acquisition of a plot of land in the Quinta da Marinha, Cascais.
• Current and future touristic investments include various projects which are always situated in the most privileged locales: exquisite locations devoted to relaxation, but with the added advantage of always being close by to urban centers.
• Onyria Golf Resorts has developed golf, business and pure leisure oriented projects at Cascais (Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort) and the Algarve (Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort).
• High-resolution imagery of Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort can be downloaded, for editorial use only, from here, and for Quinta da Marinha from here.

For further information please contact Dave Bowers on 0044 (0)1730 711920 or email dave@theazaleagroup.com