Jabol sprints, leaps way to 2 B Pinoy golds

VIGAN, Ilocos Sur, Philippines — Jason Jabol of Dasmariñas, Cavite flashed not just his sprinting prowess but also his jumping skills as he ruled the century dash and long jump in the Batang Pinoy Luzon leg at the President Quirino Stadium here yesterday.

Jabol clocked 11.35 seconds to win the 100m dash gold then the 14-year-old Immaculate Concepcion Academy Grade 9 student claimed the long jump mint in 6.18 meters, becoming the first double-gold medalist in athletics.

Jabol actually posted the gold medal-winning jump on his first attempt to make it to the final eight then rushed to the track, did some warm-ups before blowing away his rivals in the centerpiece sprint race.

But Jabol, who won four elementary golds in the 2015 Tagum Palarong Pambansa, felt cramps on both legs and passed on his fourth and fifth jumps. He made his sixth try but fouled when he could have passed on it too since no other came close to his first attempt.

“I fouled my last attempt because I was already feeling numbness and cramps in my legs,” said Jabol.

He guns for a third gold as he vies in the 200m dash today.

Jabol was also set to compete in the 4x100m relax in the afternoon and 4x400m relay on Friday.

Sharing the day’s spotlight were twins Charlaine and Charmaine Deocampo, also of Dasmariñas, Cavite and siblings Tara and Sam Borlain of Pasig.

The reed-thin Charlaine, 14, topped the girls’ 400m hurdles in 67.99, besting Muntinlupa’s Trisha Parajas and Taguig’s Mary Cris Alpeche, who clocked 69.91 and 70.21 for silver and bronze, respectively.

Charmaine, however, managed just an 11th place finish in the 3000m topped by Borlain, the 14-year-old Grade Nine St. Paul College Pasig student who timed 10:58.84, almost a minute ahead of Laguna’s Magvrylle Matchino (11:28.40) and Camarines Sur’s Lheslie de Lima (11:28.74).

It was the first Batang Pinoy gold for Borlain, who started in triathlon where she and elder sister Sam had celebrity status as Alaska IronKids champions.