PH’s gold rush continues to keep SEA Games’ wide lead

Skateboarders and sambo artists led the gold rush with two golds each for the host country which, as of press time, has tallied 142 medals comprising 63 golds, 45 silvers and 32 bronzes way on top of the ladder. (File Photo: 2019 SEA Games/ Facebook)

MANILA – The Filipino athletes remain unstoppable as they captured eight more gold medals on Thursday, the fifth day of action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Skateboarders and sambo artists led the gold rush with two golds each for the host country which, as of press time, has tallied 142 medals comprising 63 golds, 45 silvers and 32 bronzes way on top of the ladder.

Margielyn Didal and Daniel Lederman stamped their class to rule the women’s and men’s Game of SKATE finals of skateboarding competition at the Sigtuna Hall of the Tagaytay International Convention Center in Tagaytay City.

Didal, the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist, defeated compatriot Christiana Means for her first SEA Games gold while Lederman outshone Basral Hutomo of Indonesia.

Chino Sy and Mark Edward Striegl shone in sambo, a Russian martial art and combat sport, ruling the men’s sport 82kg and combat 74kg events.

Fencer Jylyn Nicanor pocketed her first SEA Games gold medal as she scored a come from behind 15-14 win against Indonesia’s Diah Permatasi in the women’s individual sabre event at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Jermyn Prado also won her first SEA Games gold medal after winning the women’s road individual time trial event in 44 minutes and 44.742 seconds.

The 26-year-old Prado defeated Yiwei Luo of Singapore who clocked 44.48.518 for silver medal and Thai bet Phetdarin Somrat who took the bronze in 44.58.152.

Prado’s teammate Marella Vania Salamat, fourth-placer in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, finished seventh among the 11 competitors.

The Filipinos clinched also the first gold in judo courtesy of Shugen Pablo Nakano, improving his bronze finish in the Kuala Lumpur meet two years.

Edmar Tacuel delivered the other gold for host country on Thursday, winning the men’s single’s seni tunggal event in pencak silat competition.

The Philippines still enjoys a wide lead in the medal standing where next SEA Games’ host Vietnam still in second spot with 31 golds, 35 silvers and 41 bronzes followed by Indonesia with 27-38-39 tally, Singapore (26-19-29), Malaysia (23-16-24), Thailand (16-22-30), Myanmar (2-8-23), Cambodia (2-3-17), Brunei (1-5-5), Laos (0-2-10), and Timor Leste with still no medal to show.