Atienza sparks Phl tracksters 2-gold romp

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran trackster Narcisa Atienza spearheaded the Philippines’ two-gold, five-silver harvest in the Hong Kong Inter-City Athletics Championships over the weekend at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground in Hong Kong.

Atienza bested the field in high jump then placed second in javelin throw and shot put to emerge as the top perfomer among the group, which also got one more gold from seasoned Rosie Villarito in javelin.

Olympics-bound Rene Herrera (5,000-meter run) settled for the runner-up honors in his last competition before leaving for London to tow silver medalists Loralie Sermona (hammer throw) and Edgardo Alehan, Jr. (men’s 400m).

The 33-year-old Atienza cleared the bar at 1.73 meters on her fifth try to nip Hong Kong’s Yeung Man Wai (1.68m) and Guangzhou’s Yo Xiazhen (1.65m) for the top plum.

She followed this up with second-place finishes to compatriot Villarito in javelin and to Hong Kong’s Ho Yin Chiu in shot put.

Villarito hurled the spear to 48.48 meters on her second attempt to secure the mint while Atienza completed a 1-2 finish for Phl with her 43.68m.

Ho threw the ball to 12.08m to dispatch the golden bid of Atienza (11.67 m) in shot put.

Warming up for London, Herrera clocked 15:01.73 in the 5,000 m to yield the gold to Korea’s Mung Jeong Ki (14:59.41).

Sermona had a throw of 50.53m that was good for No. 2 in hammer throw behind Korea’s Kang Na Ru (57.42m) while  Alejan (48.48 seconds) landed a podium finish in the 400m behind Japan’s Nakajima Masamichi (47.09).