CHLOE ISLETA CLINCHES FIRST SWIMMING GOLD

Chloe Isleta delivered a rare SEA Games swimming gold for the Philippines as she topped the women’s 200m backstroke event.

Isleta finished with a time of 2:18.6 to beat Indonesia’s Nurul Fajar Fitriyati (2:19.79) and Thailand’s (2:19.9).

(READ: Tan rules bowling, Isleta tops swimming as long SEA Game gold droughts end)

GOLD RUSH IN DANCESPORT

Just like the 2019 SEA Games, dancesport proved to be a gold mine for the Philippines as the country bagged four more gold medals.

Sean Mischa Aranar and Ana Leonila Nualla delivered three of the four golds by reigning in Viennese waltz, five dance, and tango.

Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen topped the slow foxtrot.

(READ: Carlos Yulo, dancesport fuel SEA Games charge as PH wins 10 more golds)

JOCEL NINOBLA BAGS FIRST PH GOLD IN TAEKWONDO

The Philippines captured its first gold medal in taekwondo courtesy of Jocel Lyn Ninobla, who ruled the women’s individual recognized poomsae.

Ninobla also won the event in the 2019 SEA Games.

CLINTON BAUTISTA DEFENDS HURDLES GOLD

Clinton Kingsley Bautista retained his SEA Games crown in men’s 110m hurdles as he added another gold to Philippine athletics’ haul.

Bautista clocked in 13.78 seconds to eclipse his time of 13.97 he set in the 2019 SEA Games.

GILAS PILIPINAS ESCAPES THAILAND

Gilas Pilipinas averted disaster against an upset-seeking Thailand as it opened its SEA Games campaign with a 76-73 escape.

June Mar Fajardo leads the Philippines with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

(READ: Slow-starting Gilas Pilipinas escapes Thailand in SEA Games opener)

CARLOS YULO SHARES HORIZONTAL BAR GOLD

Carlos Yulo wrapped up his SEA Games campaign with a fifth gold medal after ruling the men’s horizontal bar along with Vietnam’s Dinh Phuong Thanh.

The pint-sized Filipino gymnast and the Vietnamese star both earned an exact score of 13.867. 

(READ: Carlos Yulo tops horizontal bar to wrap up SEA Games stint with 5 golds)

CARLOS YULO CLAIMS SIXTH MEDAL

Carlos Yulo clinched his sixth medal in this SEA Games as he settled for silver in the men’s parallel bars.

Yulo tallied 14.9 points but fell short against home bet Dinh Phuong Thanh of Vietnam, who seized the gold with a score of 15.133.

(READ: Carlos Yulo poised to become PH’s most bemedaled anew with parallel bars silver)

PH MEN’S VOLLEYBALL PODIUM RETURN BID ENDS WITH THAI REVENGE SWEEP

Thailand completed a three-year revenge bid against the Philippines in SEA Games men’s volleyball with a 25-20, 29-27, 25-22 sweep in the elimination round.

The Filipinos – who famously dethroned the Thais in 2019 on the way to a silver medal finish – are now relegated to the classification rounds despite herculean efforts from team leaders Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo.

(READ: Thailand completes 3-year SEAG men’s volley redemption arc with PH team sweep)

CARLOS YULO BAGS FOURTH GOLD

Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo captured his fourth gold medal as he ruled the men’s vault, the event where he is the current world champion.

Another Filipino secured a podium finish, with Juancho Miguel Besana pocketing the bronze.

(READ: Carlos Yulo hits 4-gold prediction in SEA Games with vault triumph)

MERWIN TAN STRIKES GOLD, HIKES PH TOTAL TO 21

Merwin Tan snapped an 11-year SEA Games gold medal drought for Team Philippines in men’s singles bowling.

The 22-year-old is the first Filipino to rule the event since Frederick Ong did so in 2011.

WOMEN’S BEACH VOLLEY TEAMS PICK UP WINS

The Philippines’ two women’s volleyball teams earned their second wins as they both beat Malaysia in the preliminary round.

Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons toppled Farwizah Aina Ahmad Nizar and Maegan Jia Yin Beh, while Jovelyn Gonzaga and Dij Rodriguez defeated Sing Yee Sin and Sin Xi Foo with a pair of sweeps.

GILAS WOMEN REPULSE INDONESIA IN OPENER

Afril Bernardino flirted with a double-double as Gilas Women banked on a huge third-quarter run to  clobber Indonesia, 93-77, in the women’s basketball opener.

(READ: Bernardino stars as Gilas Women thwart Indonesia to open SEA Games title defense)

Preview

Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo will once again be the center of attraction in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam as the Philippines guns for more medals on Monday, May 16.

Already an owner of three golds in this edition of the regional showpiece, Yulo aims for more in men’s artistic gymnastics when he competes in the vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.

Yulo winning even in just one of his last three events will fulfill the prediction of Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton, who projected a four-gold haul from the Olympian.

He is expected to bag gold in vault, the event where he is the current world champion, as he also looks to improve on his silver finishes in parallel bars and horizontal bar.

Over in team events, Gilas Pilipinas and Gilas Women begin their respective title-retention campaigns.

Gilas Women will play first on Monday as they tangle with Indonesia, while Gilas Pilipinas faces Thailand to kick off its bid for a 14th straight SEA Games gold. (GAME SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at 31st SEA Games)

The silver medalist in the previous SEA Games, the Philippine men’s volleyball team will try to keep its hopes for another podium finish alive in a must-win game against Thailand.

A second straight loss – the first coming from Cambodia – will result in the Philippines missing the semifinals.

Other sports where the Philippines seeks to produce medals on Monday are golf, swimming, athletics, fencing, and dancesport, to name a few.

– Rappler.com