SWIMMER Maenard Batnag collected five gold medals to become the most decorated athlete of the Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy Championships in Tagum City.
The 12-year-old from Baguio City Batnag added the boys’ 12-under 100-mter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley to his haul of gold medals, which included victories in the 200-meter back, 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter back.
Batnag clocked one minute and 6.76 seconds in the 100-meter fly to beat Andre Geronimo of Tanauan City (1:09.59) and Dipolog City’s Leonardo Dalman III (1:09.86).
The seventh grader from Baguio City National High School later topped the 200-meter individual medley in 2:31:08, seven seconds faster than silver medalist Jake Ellis Evangelista of Batangas City (2:38.11) and Philip Miguel Mendoza of Laguna (2:38.53).
“I took swimming just to stay active and cut down weight. I didn’t expect to win medals here,’’ Batnag said.
Christian Paul Anor of Banganga (Davao Oriental) and Davao City’s Matthieu Adrien Tao pocketed four gold medals each at the end of swimming competitions at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex.
After winning the boys’ 13-17 200-meter backstroke, 100-meter free and 100-meter back the other day, the 17-year-old Anor picked up another gold in the 50-meter back, while Tao, who led Davao to the 4×50-meter relay title, ruled the 50-meter free, 100-meter and 200-meter free for boys’ 12 and under.
Mark Jiron Rotoni of Quezon City won three golds (100-meter breast stroke, 200-meter IM and 200-meter breast) in the boys’ 13-17 and Janelle Alisa Lin dominated the 200-meter IM, 200-meter free and 200-meter back in the girls’ 12-under.
A record in athletics nearly fell as defending 100-meter dash champion Samantha Gem Limos of Cebu clocked 12.41 seconds, far better than her existing Batang Pinoy record of 12.48 seconds set last year in Cebu City.
Technical officials, however, said the race was wind-aided and ruled out the potential record of Limos.
Limos, who won a 100-meter bronze medal in the Children of Asia early this year in Yakutsk, Russia, aims to retain her 200-meter title and beat her own Batang Pinoy mark in today’s finale.
The 14-year-old eighth grader from University of Cebu ran faster in the semifinal heat (12.39) but track and field secretary-general Renato Unso said it was also wind-aided.
“I’ll just do my best in the 200 meters,’’ said Limos, the Palarong Pambansa champion who will also run in the 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays.
Other gold performers in athletics were Jan Mervin Francisco of Dasmariñas, Cavite (boys’ 13-15 javelin), Tyronne Exequiel Flores of Dasmariñas, Cavite (boys’ 16-17 discus throw), Bago City’s Maryland Torres (girls’ 16-17 discus throw), Cebu City’s Set Abram Pilapil (boys’ 16-17 100 meters) and Eliza Cuyom of Dasmariñas, Cavite (girls’ 16-17 100 meters).
Defending 100-meter boys 13-15 champion Veruel Verdadero of Dasmariñas City, Cavite, retained his title with a 10.95 performance against Iloilo’s Vince Buhayan of (11.43) and Aklan’s Ponce Juenz Cabungcal (11.54).
Aklan’s Sheila Talia won the long-jump girls 16-17, South Cotabato’s Marizel Buer ruled the javelin throw girls’ 13-15 and Bulacan’s Vincent Vianmar de la Cruz 2,000-meter walk for boys 13-15.