Golden spree
Credit to Author: Jean Russel V. David| Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2019 16:12:02 +0000
PH sweeps medals on Day 1
SUBIC: The Philippines started its campaign in the 30th Southeast Asian Games on a high note, harvesting 20 gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals on Sunday, the first day of the regional sports tournament.
John Leeram Chicano opened the golden surge by winning the triathlon held at the Subic Bay Boardwalk.
The 28-year Chicano finished the 1.5 kilometer (km) swim-40 km bike-10 km run in one hour, 53 minutes and 26 seconds to win his first SEA Games gold.
“I am overjoyed. I cannot express my feelings. I am just thankful first to God for helping me achieve this victory,” said Chicano, a silver medalist in the 2017 SEA Games.
Cebuano wunderkind Andrew Kim Remolino bagged the silver by clocking 1:55:03 as the Philippines scored a 1-2 finish.
“Syempre sobrang saya kahit kakagaling lang ng juniors, pag-angat sa [elite category], nakapasok na sa SEA Games at nakakuha pa ng silver,” said SEA Games first-timer Remolino.
“It’s a bonus na po na manalo tayo and nadefend po ‘yung gold and silver,” he added.
It was a golden double in triathlon as Olympics hopeful Kim Mangrobang retained her crown and remained as Southeast Asia’s triathlon queen.
Mangrobang negotiated the course in 2:02:00, improving her 2017 mark of 2:11:14.
It was another 1-2 finish for the triathlon team as Kim Kilgroe finished second with 2:05:02.
The team swept all its events, finishing with two golds and two silvers.
But the day’s biggest haul came from dancesport, which accounted for 10 golds and one silver.
The pair of Sean Mischa Aranar and Ana Leonila Nualla ruled the Tango, Viennese Waltz, and Five Dance events.
The team of Mark Jayson Gayon and May Joy Renigen took the top prize in Standard Waltz and Slow Foxtrot while settling for silver in quickstep.
Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo picked up three golds from latin samba, rumba, and single dance pasadoble while the duo of Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda took the gold in single dance rumba and chachacha Agatha Wong scored the second gold for the Philippines after defending her crown in the women’s taolu taijiquan (wushu) held at the World Trade Center in Manila.
Wong tallied 9.67 points as she bested eight other competitors from six countries to retain her title in the biennial meet.
Brunei’s Lachkar Basma (9.55 points) and Vietnam’s Tran Thi Minh took the silver and bronze, respectively.
Daniel Parantac took the bronze in the men’s side with 9.54 points, finishing behind Loh Choon Chow (9.68) of Malaysia and Zheng Yu Hosea Wong (9.59) of Brunei.
First Filipino gymnastics world champion Carlos Edriel Yulo earned his first Games gold, ruling the all-around finals held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Sepak takraw joined the medal spree by sweeping the men’s and women’s hoop event held at the Subic Gym.
Led by playing coach Deseree Autor, the Filipinas edged Indonesia, 670 to 660 to earn the Philippines’ first-ever gold in SEA Games hoop event history.
At the Angeles University Foundation, the Philippine men’s arnis team delivered as expected, winning four golds.
Team Captain Mike Banares led the team by defeating Thai Viet Phu of Vietnam in the livestick (LS) welterweight (+65 kg and above) finals.
Villardo Cunamay bested Mengly Yong of Cambodia in the LS lightweight (+60 kg less 65 kg), while Nino Mark Talledo defeated Van Kien Vu of Vietnam in the LS featherweight (+55 kg less 60 kg) finals.
Dexter Bolambao delivered the first gold in arnis, beating Paing Soc of Myanmar in the bantamweight (under-55 kg) division via a unanimous decision.
In cycling, Nino Surban took the silver in the mountain bike cross country division, while Avegail Rombaon and Edmhel John Flores settled for bronze in the women and men categories, respectively.
At the Iñigo Zobel Polo Facility, the national polo team suffered a 4-6 loss to Malaysia in the finals.
The team was composed of Vicente Tomas, Miguel Eduardo, and Stefano Juban.
Figure skater Alisson Krystle Perticheto got the silver medal in ice skating senior singles.
In weightlifting, John Ceniza claimed the silver in under-55 kg while Mary Flor Diaz, the cousin of Olympian Hidilyn Diaz, finished with bronze in under-45 kg weight class.
The men’s water polo team finished with a bronze medal.