SIAM REAP – Athletics delivered two medals under scorching conditions early Saturday in the marathon competitions of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Angkor Wat here, a silver from Arlan Arbois and a bronze from one-time champion Christine Hallasgo.
Braving humid conditions, which reached 37-degree Celsius even at 6 a.m., Arbois settled for the silver in the men’s event with a time of 2:33:27, finishing behind Indonesian gold medalist Agus Prayogo (2:32:59).
Vietnam’s Nguyen Thanh Hoang (2:35:49) completed the podium.
Arbois’ teammate Richard Salano did not finish.
In the women’s side, Hallasgo failed in her goal of regaining the marathon gold medal she once held during 2019 edition of the games in the Philippines, but still made the podium with a bronze-medal clocking of 2:50:27.
Hallasgo, the silver medalist during the Vietnam games last year, finished behind favorite, Indonesia’s Odekta Naibaho, who retained her title with a time of 2:48:14, and Vietnam’s Thi Tuyet Le, who snatched the silver with 2:49:21.
“Despite the extreme heat our athletes did well, at least with our two medalists,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary general Edward Kho.
The heat will again be a factor as the bulk of the athletics’ team, led by world’s no. 3 pole vaulter, Ernest John Obiena, plunges into action starting Monday at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Also hoping to land medals for Team PH on Monday are Janry Ubas and Aries Toledo (decathlon), Olympian Kristina Knott and Kayla Richardson (women’s 200m), Umajesty Williams (men’s 200m), Aira Teodosio (women’s hammer throw), Elijah Cole (pole vault), Melvin Calano and John Paul Sarmiento (men’s javelin throw), Edwin Giron and Alfrence Braza (men’s 1,500), Joida Gagnao and Abiegail Manzano (women’s 5,000).