THE Philippines—behind Angel Otom’s splurge in swimming—had its biggest gold medal haul in one day with nine victories in the 12th ASEAN Para Games in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.
Otom, 19, claimed her third and fourth gold medal at the Morodok Aquatics Center with stunning victories in the women’s 50 meters butterfly and freestyle of S5 to become the country’s first quadruple gold medalist.
The pride of Olongapo City made it more meaningful by setting a new games record of 47.33 seconds in the 50 butterfly, shattering her own 48.07 mark she set last year in Surakarta, Indonesia.
Darry Bernardo outclassed the men’s field in standard B2B3 of chess by copping the individual and team crowns along with Menandro Redor and Arman Subaste.
Bernardo’s earlier triumphs came in rapid individual and team Sunday.
He could emerge as the most successful Filipino athlete, if not the entire games, if he could add the individual and team blitz gold medals on Thursday.
Also striking gold were Evaristo Carbonel (discus throw F11) and Jerold Mangliwan (200m T52) at the Morodok Techo National Stadium and swimmer Ernie Gawilan in men’s 200 individual medley SM7.
The Philippines was fifth in the medals race with 27 golds, one shy of replicating the 28-gold haul last year.
Gawilan also pocketed the silver medal in the 50m buttterfly (34.72), finishing second to Singapore’s Wei Soong Toh (30.78) and ahead of Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoang Nha (34.84).
Double-gold medalist Gary Bejino placed second in the men’s 50m butterfly S6 event won by Thailand’s Aekkarin Noithat (34.48). Boonyarit Payungsakul, also from Thailand, was third (39.02).
Jesebel Tordecilla got silver in women’s javelin throw F55 with 13.62 meters. Vietnam’s Ngo Thi Lan won the gold medal (14.27m) while Myanmar’s Htet Htet Aye secured the bronze medal (11.68m).
Andrei Kuizon registered 19.03 meters in the men’s javelin throw F34-54 to finished second behind Vietnam’s Vovan Tung (21.33m). Malaysia’s Taufik Nasirdin (13.19m) was third.
Athletics also delivered three bronze medals from Cendy Asusano, Jerome Fernandez and Arman Dino.
Asusano, another double-gold winner, finished third in the women’s discus throw F54 with an effort of 13.46m.
Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy won the event in 14.43m while her compatriot, Tran Thi Tu was third (13.84m).
Fernandez (24.43) ranked third in the men’s 200m T46 behind Indonesia’s Figo Saputra (23.39) and Firza Listianto (24.00).
Dino clocked 23.55 seconds to settle for the third place in the men’s 200m T47 event.
Nur Ferry Pradana of Indonesia won in 22.36 while his compatriot, Rizal Bagus Saktyono, was second in 22.78.
In men’s javelin throw F55, Joel Balatucan finished fourth (22.05m) behind Kieu Minh Trung of Vietnam (27.00m), Riadi Saputra of Indonesia (25.69m) and Shar Haji Juma’at of Brunei (22.16m).
