Leading the local charge against some 200 foreign tracksters from at least nine countries is Geralyn Amandoron, who recently broke the Philippine record in the women’s javelin in winning the gold in last week’s Thailand Open.
Amandoron, a 22-year-old prized find from Cebu, won the gold in the Thailand meet by hurling the javelin 51 meters, breaking the 17-year-old record of Erlinda Lavandia of 49.24 set in a dual meet and becoming the first Filipina to break the 50-meter barrier.
Amandoron’s new national record is just a shade under the standing SEA Games record of 51.10 being held by Thailand’s T. Ratnaningsih since 1987. Amandoron has thrown over 52 meters in unofficial practice sessions recently.
Also in danger of being broken are national records in the women’s 100 meters, triple jump and hammer throw which were all set in last year’s Milo Open. The event which ends on Sunday is part of the team’s preparations for the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games set in September.
Lerma Bulauitan won the women’s century dash last year with a time of 11.3 seconds while Maristela Torres took the triple jump gold with a leap of 12.09 meters, in the process breaking her own national mark of 11.83.
In the hammer throw event, expected to shine anew is Roselyn Hamero who won the gold last year with a throw of 36.08 meters, better than the previous national record of 34.38 she herself established in 1999.
Middle-distance runner John Lozada and steeplechase specialist Eduardo Buenavista, who also won the golds in the Thailand meet, are also expected to challenge the standing national records.