Hong shines; Lacuna claims golden triple

LOS BAÑOS , Philippines  – Even when at home in Parañaque, Mary Grace Hong spends a lot of time in the water, honing her skills in their own 25-meter, two-lane swimming pool.

“I normally practice at home,” said the 16-year-old after winning her second gold and setting a second meet record in the 34th Southeast Asia Age-Group Swimming Championships at the Trace Aquatics Center here.

Jessie King Lacuna won the first gold medal disputed yesterday, clocking 1:54.57 in the boys (15-17) 200m freestyle. It was his third gold following victories in the 50m freestyle (24.44) and 400m freestyle (4:04.13).

The Philippines, which won seven golds Thursday, settled for three yesterday, the other one courtesy of Jose Joaquin Gonzalez who timed 4:38.13 to edge teammate Banjor Borja for the 400m individual medley gold.

Hong ruled the girls (15-17) 100m backstroke the other day with a record time of 1:05.08, and plunged back into action yesterday morning to win the 200m backstroke gold, also in a record time of 2:19.70.

The fourth year high school student of Philippine Christian School of Tomorrow will turn 17 today, and is hoping to gain her third gold in the backstroke events when she vies in the 50m race.

“I hope I can make it. I hope that if I win it will be another record,” said Hong, adding that she spends a lot of time practicing at home than travel all the way to Pasig City to train at the Philsports Arena.

Hong, who’s also into badminton and karatedo, where she’s a yellow belter, is fresh from a stint in the Speedo Series in Fort Lauderdale in Florida where she had the chance to go up against some Olympians.

“I landed in the finals and I was happy with that because of the presence of some Olympians,” she said just off the practice pool of this modern aquatics center built for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

And she’s putting them to good use in this three-day meet that drew around 260 swimmers from eight countries.

“Everything that comes now is a bonus. It’s been a blessing, us winning these golds,” said RP Team training director coach Pinky Brojas, considering that in the same meet last year in Malaysia, the Philippines only won three golds.

Jasmine Alkhaldi, winner of the girls (15-17) 50-meter free (with a record time of 26.90) and the 400m free (4:28.00) the other day, settled for the silver in the 200m free (2:06.56), losing out to Thailand’s Kittiya Patarawadee (2:06.15).

Other silver medalists for the Philippines on the penultimate day of action were Gabriel Castelo in the boys (15-17) 50m butterfly (25.92), Gonzalez in the 200m backstroke (2:08.71), Fahad Alkhaldi in the 200m backstroke (2:17.59), Kezia Sarmiento in the 200m backstroke (2:29.12) and Franz Marquez in the 400m IM (4:49.10).

Providing the bronze medals for the hosts were Erika Visitacion in the girls (15-17) 100m breaststroke (1:21.44), Marquez in the 200m backstroke (2:18.16) and Ariana Herranz in the 200m backstroke (2:29.15).

Thailand, which fielded 65 swimmers in this event, a handful more than the Filipino bets, continued to dominate the opposition. After winning 11 medals the other day, and setting six meet records, the Thais won 17 of the 32 events yesterday.

Eight of them came in record fashion – in the girls (15-17) 200m free (2:06.15), boys (13-14) 200m free (1:54.35), girls (13-14) 200m free (2:04.58), boys (13-14) 50m fly (25.78), girls (13-14) 50m fly (28.34), girls (11-12) 50m fly (29.12), girls (15-17) 400m IM (5:00.80) and boys (13-14) 50m free (24.04).