Sky’s the limit for hammer thrower

Arniel Ferrera saved his best for last.

On his sixth and final attempt, Ferrera hurled the iron ball-shaped hammer to a new Southeast Asian (SEA) Games record of 60.47 meters and clinched the gold medal at the Rizal Memorial Track Stadium yesterday morning.

It was the Philippines’ sixth gold medal in athletics and Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association president Go Teng Kok said his "Army" is on target to harvest the biggest crop ever in SEA Games history.

The Philippines’ largest gold haul came in 2001 when Go’s "Army" collected nine golds. In Vietnam two years ago, the "Army" bagged eight golds. When the Philippines hosted the SEA Games in 1991, athletics also accounted for eight golds.

Go guaranteed at least 10 gold medals this year. He said 13 is achievable and 15, possible with a little luck.

Ferrera’s feat reset the SEA Games record of 58.8 meters registered by Malaysia’s Wong Teskui in 1993. He also threw to distances of 59.74 and 59.66 in other attempts during the finals.

Go spoke to Ferrera before the 5-11, 215-pound native of Cauayan, Negros Occidental, stepped into the circle for his sixth and last hurl in the finals.

"He already won the gold medal because his throw of 59.74 was unreachable but I asked him to go for 60 meters," said Go. "I challenged him to do it for the country. We were lucky that the First Gentleman was in the stands watching because Ferrera is the first Southeast Asian athlete in history to throw the hammer over 60 meters."

Ferrera, 23, made his SEA Games debut in 2001 and pocketed a bronze with a distance of 51.07 meters. Two years ago, he took the gold in setting a new Philippine record of 55.28 meters. Ferrera has now reset the Philippine mark at least 11 times. The previous record holder Danilo Jarina is now his coach.

Ferrera said he owes his victory to Irish priest Fr. Colum O’Halpin who was his track coach at Binalbagan Catholic College and his trainer Jerro Perater. Curiously, Perater claimed the silver in the same event yesterday.

Perater, 26, finished fourth in the hammer throw in the last two SEA Games. Perater also attended Binalbagan Catholic College.

An education degree holder with a major in math, Ferrera said he worked hard to accomplish the feat and made adjustments in his turn to add power to his throw. In the past, he took only three turns before hurling the hammer. Now, he takes four.

"It takes four things to make a good throw-speed, power, rhythm and explosiveness," said Ferrera. "Those were the things I worked on in preparing for the SEA Games. My experience in the Asian championships in Inchon, Korea, last September was a big help because although I finished only seventh, I competed against quality throwers from all over Asia."

The second of seven children, Ferrera joined the national pool only four years ago. His father Jenny is a heavy equipment operator for a construction firm in Bacolod and his mother Fortunata is a housewife. Aside from athletics, his other interests are fishing and carpentry.

Go said the sky’s the limit for Ferrera whose next goal is to throw to a distance of at least 70 meters. The Asian Games record of 78.72 meters was set by Japan’s Koji Mirofushi in 2002. The world record of 86.74 was posted by Russia’s Yuri Sedykh in 1986.

Go said he has asked the First Gentleman to support more foreign exposure for Ferrera and another new SEA Games record-holder, 23-year-old Henry Dagmil of Cotabato. Dagmil set a new SEA Games record of 7.81 meters in the men’s long jump the other day.

"The First Gentleman has been in the stands cheering every morning since we began the athletics competitions," said Go. "Buena mano kasi we’ve been winning."