Splashing Start
Torres sets new SEAG long jump record for first PH gold; Pinoy jins begin winning ways
Marestella Torres gave the Philippines its first Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medal in style, setting a new record in long jump yesterday at the Jakabaring Athletic Stadium in Palembang, Indonesia.
The Olympian Torres lived up to her expectations when she broke not only her personal-best but also the SEAG record. She actually fouled on her second jump but bounced back to log a distance of 6.710 meters for the gold medal.
Indonesian Maria Londa settled for the silver medal with a jump measuring 6.470 meters. Fellow Filipino Katherine Santos wasn’t far behind as she gave the Philippines a bronze medal with a distance of 6.250 meters.
Torres broke her own SEA Games record of 6.68 meters she set in Laos in 2009. In the Laos Games, Torres erased the previous record of 6.52 meters set by Philippine long jump legend Elma Muros back in 1989.
The Philippine Taekwondo team also started its campaign in explosive fashion, winning a gold, silver and bronze in Jakarta.
The Jins started strong in the poomsae events, with Marvin Gabriel bagging the bronze in the individual men’s event. He then teamed up with Shaneen Ched Sia to grab a silver in the open poomsae pairs event.
The bemedalled trio of Rani Ann Ortega, Camille Alarilla and Janice Lagman won the country’s second gold by topping the women’s poomsae team event.
The Philippines currently has a 2-2-3 (gold-silver-bronze) record as of 7 p.m. yesterday. Host Indonesia leads the tally with a 13-10-1 record.
The other medalists for the Philippines yesterday were Joey Barba and OJ delos Santos.
Barba gave the Philippines its first medal by taking a silver in the mountainbike downhill competition.
Barba lost the gold by .99 seconds to Indonesian Pornomo Pornomo, who clocked a final time of 2 minutes and 31.451 seconds. Barba had a time of 2:32.44.
Delos Santos won a bronze in the men’s karate individual kata event. /with a report from correspondent mars g. alison
