Two RP climbers gain in X-Games

PHUKET, Thailand – The Philippines earned top honors in the Disney Channel-ESPN Junior X Games presented by Toyota in Pathong Beach here last weekend with two Filipino sport climbers winning the gold medals in their respective events.

Tagoy Ledesma, 14, topped the speed climb while Andrew Robles, also 14, shared first place honors with two others in bouldering as they took the spotlight in the event, which gathered the best young extreme athletes in the Asia Pacific region.

Two Filipina climbers in Dalia Guerrero and Mary Angsico were not as lucky, though, as they failed to win a medal in both the speed climb and the bouldering.

Australia’s Amanda Newing reigned supreme in bouldering with a 91.18-percent rating while China’s Sheng Ju Wei ruled the speed climb.

Robles twice scaled the wall with a perfect rating and so did Australia’s James Kassay and Khairul Hafiz of Malaysia as they shared top honors in male bouldering.

Ledesma finished fourth in the same event with a 69.23-percent rating.

The Filipinos figured in a fierce competition with the Aussies in climbing which attracted a huge crowd in the venue and millions more hooked on ESPN Star Sports.

Australia’s Steve Cadona wowed the crowd and even his rivals in bike stunt while Japanese bets Kazuki Imai, Takeshi Yasutoko and Soichiro Kanashima swept the golds in skating.

In a repeat of last year’s event, the Aussies dominated the bicycle stunt vert competition with Cadona ending up champion. — Nelson Beltran