Kuala Lumpur—A Bacolod City native bagged the country’s fourth gold medal in record-setting fashion on Monday in the 2018 ASEAN Schools Games.
The 17-year-old Ann Katherine Quitoy recorded 49.18 meters to set a new mark in javelin and secure the country’s most productive campaign so far in the biennial meet at Mini-Stadium of the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil.
Quitoy shattered Malaysia’s Devi Jayaindran Pavithraa’s 46.04m record set last year in Singapore.
Winning the silver medal was Klinla-Or Supisara of Thailand with a throw of 47.89m, while Firliana Yuni Fira of Indonesia took the bronze with a throw of 43.35m.
Quitoy achieved the remarkable feat three months after she shattered the secondary girls’ record of the same event during the 2018 Palarong Pambansa in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Iloilo thrower James Lozanes also broke the boys’ javelin record in topping last year’s edition of ASG in Singapore.
Quitoy’s mark came after Jessel Lumapas, 2018 Palarong Pambansa most outstanding athlete in athletics, ruled the girls’ 400m run after clocking in 57.46 seconds for the country’s third gold medal hauled in athletics.
Pratike Rawiwan of Thailand settled for silver after she timed 57.10 seconds, while Maulidah of Indonesia took the bronze with a time of 57.54 seconds.
On Sunday, the Philippines, composed of medalists in the last Palarong Pambansa, got its second gold medal courtesy of long jumper Trexie dela Torre.
Dela Torre, the pride of Bacolod City, bagged the girls’ event with a new personal-best of 5.84 meters against Malaysia’s Mahira Hanis Binti Ishak (5.83) and Vietnam’s Hoang Thanh Giang (5.83).
The Negrense eclipsed her personal record of 5.44, which she set during the 2018 Palarong Pambansa last April in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
High jumper Evangelene Caminong earlier gave the country its first gold when she ruled the event a day earlier.
Dela Torre is a proven winner, having also won the gold medal in the long jump girls during the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Finals in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The 16-year-old long jumper, who hails from Bacolod City, in an interview after awarding ceremony Sunday morning, said she has fulfilled her mission in her very first ASG stint.
“Bago po ‘yung turn ko, nagdasal po ako na sana maganda yung kalalabasan. Ngayon po inienjoy ko yung panalo and ang experience ko dito (I prayed to God to bless me during my turn. Right now, I’m very much happy with my accomplishment and I’m enjoying my ASG experience),” said the Grade 11 student of Romanito P. Maravilla National High School.
