After winning yesterday's International Triathlon Union JAL Honolulu World Championships, Brazil's Diogo Sclebin said he hoped it would help him become a professional in the sport.

Sclebin, 23, finished the Olympic distance event for amateurs in 1 hour, 55 minutes, 38 seconds. Margie Shapiro, 28, of Annandale, Va., was the first woman finisher in 2:07:10.

"I'm very happy," Sclebin said. "It's very difficult in my country to get a sponsor (to be a professional) so I've been training a lot."

He said that his win yesterday would go a long way toward getting sponsorship.

Mark Bonnet Eymard, 34, of Winter Garden, Fla., was second in 1:55:48, followed by Jim Vance, 29, of San Diego, in 1:56:13.

Shapiro finished three minutes ahead of Justine Whipple, 20, of Annapolis, Md. (2:10:11). Alison Coyle, 24, of Carlingford, Australia, was third in 2:11:01.

The 1.5-kilometer (.9-mile) swim, 40K (24.8-mile) bike race and 10K (6.2-mile) run, known as the Age Group Worlds, rotates its location every year. This was the first year it was held in Hawai'i, and only the second time in the United States.

Hawai'i athletes also found success yesterday among 2,000 amateur competitors from 50 countries.

Mark Speck, 35, of Honolulu, posted the best Hawai'i time in 2:01:54, and was seventh in the 35-39 age group.

Kalen Darling, a 17-year-old Moanalua senior, finished second in the male 19-under age group in 2:06:37, and 70-year-old Eleanor Kitagawa, of Honolulu, was third in the women's 70-74 division in 3:41:37. They were only medalists among more than 35 Hawai'i athletes who were entered.

Darling, the youngest person in the event, was greeted by loud cheers and applause by supporters around the finish line.

"I felt comfortable the whole time, but it was just an overwhelming experience," Darling said. "(There were) people here who are 10 times faster than I am."

After doing well in the swim, Darling said he "got passed by (on the bike) by two people in my age group, (but) I was able to catch up to them on the run."

Darling, of Honolulu, was convinced that his training around Kapi'olani Park in the weeks leading to the race paid off.

"This is a homecourt advantage," he said. "It's just a beautiful day in my backyard right now and I took advantage of that."

Hundreds of spectators cheered the triathletes as they swam near the War Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki, biked to Koko Head Park in Hawai'i Kai and back, and ran up and down Kalakaua Avenue.

Shapiro, a triathlon coach and owner of a running store, was in her fourth season of running the Age Group Worlds.

"My whole year was geared toward running this race," she said. "But I was not expecting (to win) at all. I trained hard just like everybody — it was a tough day, but I just love coming to Hawai'i to race."

Many of the athletes said they favored the warm Hawai'i weather — last year the race was in Portugal, and next year it will be in Switzerland.

"(Last year's ITU), in Portugal, it was cold, and it was a nasty course," Shapiro said. "I love Honolulu, and any time I race here it's really special. It was a totally different experience."

Yesterday's event was the first of three in Hawai'i this month that involve some of the world's top triathletes.

The Ironman Triathlon World Championship at Kailua, Kona, is on Saturday, and the Xterra World Championships, an off-road race on Maui, is Oct. 23.