Iloilo City—Antique’s Guiliver Clive Clemente splashed his way to two gold medals in swimming to hike his total to three, even as host Iloilo City made its presence felt with a massive golden harvest on Day 2 of the Visayas Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy at the Iloilo Sports Complex here.
Clemente, 14, topped the boys’ 400m individual medley in five minutes and 18.92 seconds, rested for a bit and then ruled the 50m breaststroke 33.48 a few minutes later to add to his 200m IM gold the day before.
The eighth-grader from Antique National School will gun for two more mints as he is scheduled to compete in the 100m and 200m breast today.
“My goal coming here is to win five gold medals and I hope to win two more tomorrow (today),” said Clemente, who hails from San Jose.
After a slow start, Iloilo went on a golden harvest as it raked in six golds in taekwondo, two in rapid chess and two in swimming.
Iloilo’s taekwondo triumphs were provided for in poomsae by Cyd Edryc Esmana (cadet male) and Elizabeth Marie Borres (cadet female) and in kyorugi by Kyle Chin (flyweight), Seth Hendrick Poquez (feather), Jake Christian Mamigo (light), and Bill Donton III (heavy).
Other taekwondo winners were Cebu City’s Xander Palacpac (junior male), Bacolod City’s Jamiehannah Agaloos (junior female) and Julio Miguel Zaata (fin), Mandaue City’s Rodito Sinugbojan (bantam), and Antique’s Jean Sebastian Durana (light middle) and Adrian James Juanitas (welter).
Kimberly Colaste and Checy Aliena Telesforo delivered the chess golds for the hosts after reigning supreme in the rapid event in their respective age categories.
Cebu Province’s Sean Kenneth Cogonon took the boys’ 12-and-under gold, while Cebu City’s Jave Mareck Peteros finished undefeated in six games to rule the U15 section.
It also picked up a couple of golds at the pool thanks to Dee Vianne Catedrilla in the girls’ 12U 50m breast and Francesca Gabrielle Jabian in the girls’ 13-15 50m breast.
In the centerpiece athletics, Bacolod City’s Krisha Aguilon and Aubrey Mae Mercado teamed up with Athena Rose Desana and Shalthea Deloteavo to capture the 4x100m relay gold in 52.7.
It was the second gold for both Aguilon and Mercado, the winner of the 100m dash and 400m run, respectively.
Aguilon, who is from Tay Tung, and Mercado, a student at Negros Occidental School, will clash for the 200m gold tomorrow.
Negros Occidental’s Marden Gabriel Villaruel became the fastest athlete of this weeklong meet for in and out-of-school youth athletes aged 15 years and below after he took the century dash gold in 11.6 ahead of Cebu City’s Kenneth Malaya and La Carlota City’s Rein Jham Ojeno, who finished second and third in 11.7 and 11.7, respectively.
Also delivering for Negros Occidental were Franzine Alamo (girls’ triple jump) and Joven Jacob (boys’ 2000m walk).