Comely Cari Kristine Diaz moved within a win of sweeping her seven events in the 2007 Skate Asia, ruling the female freestyle 4 in convincing fashion yesterday even as SM Megamall continued to lord it over the field at the SM Mall of Asia.
Diaz, back in competitive skating after an eight-year absence, outpointed her three rivals to top the 21-23 category of freestyle 4 and hike her gold medal haul to six, counting her victories in hockey shooting, hockey skating, solo compulsory, mixed jump and spin, solo program and production.
“I’ll continue to do what I have already started,” Diaz, a 23-year-old psychology graduate at St. Paul-Quezon City, said. “I expect this kind of result because I have been working hard for this. I’m so glad I pulled this through.”
Diaz last saw action in the 1999 International Ice Skating Institute (IISI) World Recreational Championship in San Jose, California, but has been diligently training at the rinks of SM Megamall where she also works as full-time coach.
“I really gave everything out because this is my first performance in the last six years aside from the 1999 IISI tournament in the United States,” said Diaz, who started to skate at age five and harnessed her skills in Canada.
Diaz guns for the sweep in her final event – the 19-above team competition – on the final day.
Diaz’s feat, however, was duplicated by another veteran campaigner, John Carlo Ingeniero, who ruled the 19-22 male freestyle 4, for his sixth gold haul that went along with six silver medals after five days of hostilities in the event sanctioned by IISI of America.
With five events left, Ingeniero looms as the tournament’s most bemedaled performer.
At the end of skating action Wednesday, SM Megamall stayed on top with an aggregate of 5492.5 points while SM Southmall pooled 1995 points, leaving behind their foreign rivals with Indonesia-based Skyrink-Jakarta in far third place with 629 points.
Hong Kong’s Festival Walk Glacier collected 614 points for fourth in the 16-team field.
Other winners in the freestyle 4 were Sabrina Tso (9-10 female), Christina Marie Cordero (11-12), Monica Su (11-12 female), Angelica Elmido (14-17 female), Michelle Priskilla (13 female), Kan Ka Kit (11-14 male), Talitha Licauco (27-30 female), Xu Jingwei (33-41 female).
Other winners: Michaela Lee (6-7 female artistic freestyle 1), Bernadine Poulette Umali (8-9 female artistic freestyle 1), Samantha Corrales (10 female freestyle 1), Jacquelyn Christian (11 female artistic freestyle 1) and Esther Leon (12-13 female freestyle 1).