Two Filipinos win gold at Singapore Track Championships

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine tracksters picked up two gold medals even as Asian Games champion Maria Natalya Londa of Indonesia won a showdown with two Filipina rivals at Saturday’s 77th Singapore Open Track and Field Championships.

Julian Fuentes towed Janry Ubas and Benigno Marayag to dominate the men’s long jump. Fuentes, sustaining his good form since coming second in last month’s nationals, won in 7.54 meters. Ubas, whose versatility towed Far Eastern University to the UAAP title, finished second in 7.28 meters. 

Marayag and Thailand’s Supanara were tied for third with 7.21 meters but the Singapore Open website said Marayag took third. 

Eduardo Alejan Jr ruled the 400 meters in 47.18 followed by John Caido, second in 47.73. Archand Christian Bagsit, the defending Southeast Asian Games champion, was a distant third in 47.83. 

In a related development, Eric Cray set a national mark of 49.62 in the 400 meter hurdles during the Florida Relays last Friday, said track and field statistician Andrew Pirie. His old mark was 50 seconds set during heats of the 2014 Asian Games.

The Singapore meet is a warm-up event for the 2015 Southeast Asian some two months from now.

Londa defeated many-time champion Maristela Torres with a jump of 6.50 meters on her fifth attempt. Torres, who grabbed the lead with 6.42 on her fourth jump, fouled the next and had 6.30 meters on her last attempt.

Katherine Khay Santos finished third with 6.40. In the 110m hurdles, Patrick Unso finished second with 14.37 seconds.

Supanara, who has jumped 8.05 meters in 2007, jumped only once so as not to tax his right hamstring, said Fuentes’ coach Joseph Sy in a message on Facebook. 

Sy said Torres, whom he used to coach, still has enough time to catch up to Londa.  

– Rappler.com