Lagan City—Pole vault newcomer Maria Khrizzie Clarisse Ruzol averted a gold-medal shutout for the Philippines in the 14th Southeast Asian Youth Games opener Saturday afternoon here at the Ilagan City Sports Complex.
The 16-year old University of Santo Tomas standout leaped to a height of 2.60 meters in the girls’ pole vault to win the country’s first gold medal later in the day after a barren morning show from the Filipino youngsters.
“It was my first time competing here in the SEA Youth so I was very nervous at first, but that nervousness was replaced with happiness with our win,” said Ruzol, whose friend Jessa Marie Libres made it a 1-2 finish.
Training under the tutelage of coach Emerson Obiena and national team player EJ, the Navotas City-native Ruzol proved that first timers can also thrive in such tournament level despite her playing pole vault just five months ago.
“Pole vault’s not my first sport. I just started playing this sport five months ago,” said the University Athletic Association Season 81 juniors’ division gold medalist who played badminton, volleyball and track and field before falling in love with pole vault.
“I guess it’s just a blessing in disguise,” she added.
Five other local athletes struggled for just a silver medal and four bronze medals in the eight-nation tournament organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association of the Philippines (PATAFA) for a 1-2-4 gold-silver-bronze.
Cebuana sprinter Princess Jean Nalzaro clocked in 15.61 seconds in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles to take home the silver medal behind Thai champion Nattchicha Sengna (15.40s).
“I’m nervous because it’s my first time but the Thai runner was just too good. She’s just too tall,” the 4-foot-11, 16-year-old 2016 Batang Pinoy National Finals campaigner said of her 5-foot-6 counterpart.
Patrick Shane Tolentino (boys high jump), middle distance runner Jeshrelvan Ombid (boys’ 800-meter) and Michael Alfred Adan (boys’ 2000-meter steeplechase), on the other hand, settled for bronze medals.
Meanwhile, even the highly-touted national youth athlete Tara Borlain succumbed to the foreigners’ domination, finishing just third in her specialty event, the girls’ 800-meter run behind Vietnam’s pair of Thi Kim Phuong Le and Thu Quye Nguyen who secured a 1-2 finish.
“It was very a tough race because of hot weather and of course, the competitors have more experience,” said the reigning Palarong Pambansa champion. “It’s a whole different competition from the usual. I was challenged with different rivals and enjoyed the game.”
Good thing the 15-year-old pride of St. Paul College – Pasig City, still has the chance to bounce back in the girls’ 1, 500-meter race today.
Nalzaro also has a golden opportunity to deliver the country’s second gold medal with upcoming races in the 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays today.
Leading the medal tally so far was Southeast Asian powerhouse Thailand which harvested six gold medals as of press time courtesy of Peerapat Insuwan (boys’ high jump), Sengna (girls’ 100-m hurldes), Bandit Singhatongkul (boys’ discus throw), Supisara Klinla-Or (girls’ javelin throw) and Athibodee Aointhongyai (boys’ long jump) as of press time.
Vietnam is at second place so far with three gold medals, two silver and two bronze medals while Malaysia is currently at third with 2-2-2 finish entering the last day of the two-day regional youth championships.
Part of that Malaysia’s late medal rush was Muhammad Azeem’s record-breaking run in the centerpiece event boys’ 100-meter, clocking in 10.69 seconds to set a new best mark in the SEA Youth Games.
From sixth place in the earlier part of the opening day, the Philippines now rose to fourth place with a 1-2-3 tally.
