Lavandia bags silver in World Masters

MANILA, Philippines – Filipina javelin thrower Erlinda Lavandia took the silver for Team Philippines’ second medal in the 22nd World Masters Athletics Championships in Perth, Australia yesterday.

Lavandia hurled the spear to a distance of 30.42 meters on her sixth attempt to grab the silver in women’s 60-65 division, complementing the gold medal fellow javelin thrower Danilo Fresnido previously won in the men’s 40-44 bracket.

Denmark’s Anne Kristine Jensen narrowly bested Lavandia for the gold with her best effort of 30.59m on her third try.

With Jensen fouling twice and failing to go better on last three attempts, the 61-year-old Lavandia went for a final assault on the title. She made 30.28m on her fourth attempt and improved to 30.38m on her next but her final heave went 17 centimeters shy of Jensen’s best.

Portugal’s Ana Martinho took the bronze in the 18-woman field with 25.89m.

Lavandia was the third among the Pinoy bets to see action after champ Fresnido and pole vaulter Emerson Obiena, who settled for fifth place in the men’s 50-55 with a 3.60m output last Tuesday.

Olympian Marestella Torres-Sunang (long jump) and Lorna Vejano (women’s marathon) cap the Filipinos’ campaign this weekend.