Three gold medals boost PH to fifth after SEA Games Day 2

BANGKOK, December 12 ------ The Philippines claimed three gold medals to take the fifth spot after Day 2 of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Gymnast Aleah Finnegan and jiu-jitsu fighters Kimberly Anne Custodio and Dean Roxas seized the gold medals, bringing the Philippines’ total to five, as of posting time.

The Philippines has also registered seven silvers and 20 bronzes to overtake Malaysia, which has a 3-9-19 gold-silver-bronze tally. There was a missed opportunity, however, when the Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 Men squad was eliminated in the semifinals by Singapore, 21-20, before losing the bronze medal match to Malaysia, 21-19.

Thailand remains in the drivers’ seat with a 37-22-13 haul, way ahead of Vietnam’s output of 12-7-24. Indonesia is in third with 11-19-11, followed by Singapore with 8-9-12. Finnegan, a 2024 Olympian, showed her class after taking the women’s vault in close fashion by a mere 0.033 over Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu of Vietnam. Custodio claimed the women’s 48kg Ne-waza crown, defeating Sugan Nutchaya of Thailand, while Roxas overcame Ea Aacus Hou Yu of Singapore for the men’s 85kg title.

Jiu-jitsu also collected a silver medal in Yman Xavier Baluyo in the men’s Ne-waza 69kg. After recording a SEA Games record in the heats, Kayla Sanchez settled for silver in the women’s 50m backstroke. She also seized silver in the women’s 200m freestyle. Another silver went to Clarence Sarza in the women’s under 46kg class in taekwondo, while Haylee Garcia got one for her own in the uneven bars in gymnastics.

The bronzes for the day went to the ju-jitsu women’s duo classic team, Kaila Napolis in the ju-jitsu Ne-waza 57kg, Marc Alexander Lim in the ju-jitsu Ne-waza 69kg, and Vito Luis Luzuriaga in the ju-jitsu Ne-waza 85kg; the men’s team kata in karate; Justin Ace De Leon in the gymnastics men’s floor and rings; and taekwondo’s Kurt Barbosa in the men’s under-54 kg.

Source: spin.ph