by Kristel Satumbaga
DAVAO City – Seven records were shattered in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa on Wednesday with NCR bet Xiandi Chua leading the charge after resetting two meet marks in secondary girls swimming at the University of Mindanao pool here.
Fresh from bagging five gold medals at the national age-group championships in Tagum, Davao del Norte last month, Chua stamped her class once again by clinching the 200-meter breaststroke and 200m individual medley gold in record-breaking fashions.
Chua, 17, clocked 2 minutes and 43.08sec to eclipse the 200m breaststroke mark of 2:46.36 posted by NCR’s Thanya Dela Cruz in Vigan, Ilocos Sur last year then swam 2:23.86 to surpass the 21-year-old 200m IM record of 2:25.66 held by Althea Lim since 1998.
Also making waves was Chua’s teammate Philip Joaquin Santos, who timed 2:12.58 to break his own secondary boys 200m IM record of 2:13.05 which he made last year, and Calabarzon’s Jordan Ken Lobos, who ruled the secondary boys breaststroke in 2:26.77 to crush the 2018 mark of 2:27.66 held by NCR’s Mark Rotoni.
At the University of Mindanao track oval, Central Luzon’s Jerry Suarez shattered the 21-year-old mark in secondary boys 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:35.20 – five minutes quicker than the 1998 mark of Cristanto Canillo (9:41.70).
Calabarzon’s Gennah Malapit also debuted at the meet with a bang after ruling the elementary girls javelin throw with a heave of 46.67m on her first attempt, smashing Avegail Beliran’s 2018 mark of 41.46m.
“Mahina lang po ako last year. Ngayon, andito na po ako sa dream ko. It’s a new achievement,” said the teary-eyed Malapit, who failed to qualify in last year’s edition after losing in the regionals.
Also breaking in tears was Ilocos Region’s Kent Brian Celeste, who posted 2.02m to smash his own mark of 1.99m established last year.
“First time ko po kasing ma-clear yung 2.02m,” said the 17-year-old Celeste, who attempted to clear the 2.05m bar but failed.
In artistics gymnastics, Central Luzon’s Gail Santos grabbed four gold medals in floor exercise, balance beam, vault and individual all around in girls elementary cluster 1 division.
