Bucking the sweltering heat, Thai Noeng-ruthai Chaipech stamped her class over national team mainstay Narciza Atienza of the Philippine Army to cop the gold in the women’s high jump with a distance of 1.83 meters.
Noeng-ruthai’s spectacular jump was a stark contrast to the 1.74 meters she registered in the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games where she bagged the bronze medal behind the 23-year-old Atienza, who had the same jump of 1.74 but had less errors to end up with a silver.
Thailand is also poised to win the gold medal in both the boys’ and girls’ 100-meter dash after ruling almost all the heats in the four-day meet, which was ushered by elaborate rites graced by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain and athletics chief Go Teng Kok.
Even Atienza was impressed by her Thai rival’s tremendous improvement in the event the past two years.
"Grabe ang improvement niya," said Atienza, who will resume her studies at the University of Santo Tomas this semester after a brief break.
"Nag-improve din naman ako pero silver medal nga lang ang nakuha ko," added Atienza, last year’s high jump winner of this yearly meet bankrolled this year by Milo and the PSC.
But if there is any consolation, Atienza’s 1.78 mark eclipsed the national record of 1.75 she herself registered in last year’s edition.
"Happy na rin ako dahil kahit na natalo ko nung taga-Thailand, nabura ko naman yung sarili kong national record," Atienza said.
In the men’s 20,000-m walk, navyman Harry Canillo reigned supreme after clocking in one hour, 45 minutes and 43.9 seconds, beating Air Force men Roel Ano (1:46.09.6) and Michael Embuedo (1:46.22.7).
In high school action, Adamson’s Anthony Dandan, Cebu City’s Juvelyn Ocariza, Laguna’s Anton Dacir and Ilocos Norte’s Alleloid Lumabao, a Palarong Pambansa veteran, topped their respective events.
Dandan timed in 57.53.6 as he bested Joemar Hinolan (58.39.4) of Bacolod City and Jeffrey Laporga (59.38.0) of the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute in the boys’ 10,000-m walk while Ocariza jumped a 5.06 as she beat Nina Buenaflor (4.91) of Ateneo and Mariz Cotoner (4.83) in the girls’ long jump.
Dacir for his part, won the gold in the boys’ shotput with 12.73, ousting Elizer Sunang (12.55) of Ilocos Norte and Richard Agosto (11.74) of TMS Ship while Lumabao heaved a 56.56 to seal the boys’ javelin throw gold with Rene Ablana (49.23) of Escalante City and Alden Amora (47.98) of Cebu City finishing with a silver and a bronze medal, respectively.