Hurdler bags PH’s lone gold in 2018 Thailand Open

MANILA, Philippines – A graduating civil engineering student of the University of Perpetual Help in Las Piñas won the Philippines’ only gold medal in the 2018 Thailand Open Track and Field Championship.

Government sports radio dzSR said Monday, May 7, that Francis Medina clocked 52.16 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. A runner from Chinese Taipei finished second and Vietnam landed third.

“It was a hot race,” Medina told dzSR, saying the temperature reached 33 degrees celsius in the finals held Saturday, May 5, on a new blue colored track. 

According to Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association secretary general Renato Unso in a phone interview with Rappler, Medina ran a personal best 50.93 seconds in the Asian Games Test Event last February. Unso, a former Southeast Asian Games 400-meter hurdles champion, said this is the third fastest all-time mark.

So far, the Philippines has collected 5 silver medals. These were from former Southeast Asian Games long jump queen Marestella Sunang (6.24 meters), long jumper Janry Ubas (7.26 meters), and 110-meter hurdler Clinton Bautista (14.13 meters). 

The times and distance for the other two silver medalists, Merwin Guarte in the 1,500 and Melvin Calano in javelin, were not available as of posting.

Unso said the Thai tournament ends Monday night, but so far Medina’s gold is the only one won by the Philippines.

Medina, Ubas, and two other athletes will proceed to the Malaysian Open this week. – Rappler.com