Kaitlin, Reyland glow with gymnastics gold

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Reyland Capellan, bothered by an ailing left knee and a sore shoulder since two months back, and Texas-bred Kaitlin Cera Lianne dela Cruz de Guzman produced glowing performances worth their weight in gold in one inspiring moment of the Southeast Asian Games here.

Capellan, who competed with a limp in placing seventh in the Asian artistic championships in Bangkok last May, shrugged off all of that as he performed with the usual grace and power that earned him the gold in the 2015 SEA Games to retain his title in the floor exercise on the first day of gymnastics competitions at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Center yesterday.

“I was off-balance in my first power tumbling but I made up for that in the next routine,” said the 23-year-old Capellan, who scored 5.900 with a degree of difficulty worth 8.050 to score 13.950 points for the gold.

“I’m very happy for this win. It always feels good to win one for our country,” said the 5-2 Capellan, from Cataingan, Masbate.

Capellan also didn’t have a perfect landing on the second try but the score he attained with a higher degree of difficulty and high tumbling ability compared to that of his rivals earned the nod of the judges.

“I am very grateful for those who prayed and gave their moral support and the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee for giving us the highest level of training possible for the Games,” added the Centro Escolar University cheerleader and veteran of the World Championships and 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Poland.

Host Malaysia’s Zul Bahrin Bin Mat Asri took the silver with 13.750 points while Thailand’s Tikumporn Surintornta settled for the bronze with 13.600.

De Guzman, born of Filipino parents who migrated to the US when she was eight, showed the class act she has molded under the care and guidance of her mom with a charming win in the uneven bars, scoring 12.875 points to beat Tracie Ang of Malaysia (12.550) and Rifda Irnaluthfi of Indonesia (12.075).

Kaitlin, a club athlete who tried her luck in the national team, had 8.575 in execution and 4.300 for the degree of difficulty of her execution for a total of 12.875 to secure the gold.

“I’m so very happy with my very first gold medal representing the Philippines,” said Kaitlin, who first competed in club tournaments in the US before joining the national team.

“Really proud, really amazing,” said her mother, the former Cintamonni dela Cruz, a former national gymnast and an international judge, who is currently her personal coach and trainer.

Dela Cruz won the gold in the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai and the bronze in the 1997 SEAG in Jakarta before going into retirement.

Gymnastics association president Cynthia Carrion could not hide her joy as she hugged her players, whose training program she seriously works out leading to the Olympics in 2020.

“I am very, very happy right now,” said Carrion, who is looking at one more gold from Capellan in the vault,  and two more – in floor exercise and balance bean – from De Guzman.