By Myris Lee
Team Philippines hauled in more medals for the country on Monday, May 16, as the country stayed in third place with 30 golds, 34 silvers, and 44 bronze in the day 4 overall medal standings of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA) Games.
More historical wins for the country were carved in the biennial games when Chloe Isleta ended the 29-year SEA Games women’s swimming gold medal drought in women’s 200-meter backstroke.
Merwin Tan erased the 11-year drought of the national bowling team by winning the gold in the men’s singles, while Alexis Sy-Chua managed to win the silver medal in the bowling women’s single event.
The national artistic gymnastics team finished their SEA Games campaign in style, led by Carlos Yulo, as he added his fourth and fifth gold medals with his stellar performance in the men’s vault and horizontal bar.
Filipino-American artistic gymnast Aleah Finnegan failed to win her third gold medal and settled for silver after Malaysian gymnast Rachel Yeoh Li Wen topped her 12.367 in the women’s beam event, while Juanacho Miguel Besana took the bronze medal in the men’s vault final.
Tarlac native Clinton Kingsley Bautista defended his 2019 Manila SEA Games title as the king of men’s 110-meter hurdles with his clock time of 13.78 seconds, eclipsing his own record at 13.97.
Aside from Bautista, taekwondo jin Jocel Lyn Ninobla also defended her crown in the women’s individual recognized poomsae event.
The teamwork of taekwondo jins Janna Olivia, Juvenile Cristosomo, and Justin Kobe Macario for mixed freestyle recognized poomsae and Patrick King Perez, Raphael Enrico Mella, and Rodolflo Reyes Jr. for men’s team recognized poomsae struck a pair of silvers for the country.
Meanwhile, the teamwork of the national fencers Anna Gabriella Guinto, Ivy Claire Dinoy, Wilhelmina Lozada, and Justin Gail Tino; and Christian Jhester Conception, Daniel Eunice Villanueva, John Paul Daryo, and Sandro Antonio Sia added a pair of bronzes for the women’s epee team and men’s sabre team event.
Dancesport proved again for the second time since the 2019 Manila SEA Games that the sport is one of the medal producers of the country in the biennial games.
The pair of Sean Mischa Aranar and Ana Leonila Nualla topped the Viennese waltz, five dance, and tango events, while the duo of Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen won in slow foxtrot the same events they won in the last SEA games.
Unfortunately, Gayon and Renigen settled in silver in quick step and waltz.
In athletics, pole vaulter Alyana Nicolas and Jelly Dianne Paragile added two bronze medals for the women’s pole vault and 100-meter hurdles event.
Filipino billiard legend Efren “Bata ” Reyes proved that age doesn’t matter as he secured a bronze medal and advanced to the semifinals of men’s billiards 1-carrom competition with a 65-68 win against Thailand.
The national women’s beach volleyball team defeated Malaysia, 2-0, while Gilas Pilipinas started their campaign to protect their title after defeating Indonesia, 93-77. – ag
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