PHNOM PENH — The Philippines regained the 4×400 title when nobody was looking, ruling an event it hasn’t won for a decade at the close of the athletic competitions of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Morodok Techno National Stadium here on Friday night.
The last time the Philippines topped the 4×400 was during the 2013 Myanmar edition of the games, with Isidro del Prado Jr., son of athletic icon Isidro Sr., spearheading the team.
This time, it was his younger brother Michael del Prado at the forefront of the attack, as he, together with Frederick Ramirez and Joyme Sequita, built a comfortable lead going into the last 400, where Fil-heritage athlete Umajesty Williams, in the biggest race of his career, was the final runner.
The 23-year-old Williams held the fort from there despite his hamstring injury, and had enough gas in the tank to fend of a fast-charging Joshua Atkinson of Thailand as the Philippines pulled off the stunning win by .1 of a second with its total of 3:07.22.
Thailand clocked 3:07.23, with Myanmar placing third at 3:08.82
“Unexpected na mananalo kami ngayon, kasi last SEA Games, 4th lang kami. Sulit ang 6 months na training,” said Ramirez, pointing out that the team, which placed only 4th in the Vietnam meet last year, was never expected to win.
But the four were determined to regain the 4×400, even though the Thais launched a last-ditch effort to turn the tables through Atkinson, who gobbled up the Filipino lead in the stretch.
“I knew he was coming, I know my competition, he’s a very strong athlete. I knew I wasn’t going to get away with it easily. But I’m happy and blessed, that we won the gold for the Philippines,” said Williams, who made his national team debut two months ago in the National Open in Ilagan, Isabela.
A silver that felt like gold in terms of promise came in the women’s javelin, where a 16-year-old Palarong Pambansa standout in Gennah Malapit, led a 2-3 finish for the Filipinos.
The 5’9” Malapit, who joined the SEA Games to gain experience, ended up bagging the silver as she hurled the spear to a stunning 49.55 meters, four meters better than her personal best, and some three behind the 52.6 of Thailand’s Jariya Wichaidit, last year’s silver medalist.
Veteran Evalyn Palabrica made 48.31 meters for the bronze.
“She’s the future,” gushed national team coach Jojo Posadas. “And she is just sixteen.”
Meanwhile, the Philippine women’s 4×400 squad, led by Robyn Brown and Maureen Schrijvers, settled for the silver at 3:37.70, behind a Vietnamese team, bannered by Thi Anh Thuc Hoang.
Kristina Knott, who finished 4th in the women’s 200-meters on Monday, did not start the 100-m finals, due to a hamstring injury.
“Her coaches may have decided not to take the risk, malapit na kasi ang Asian championships,” said Posadas of the 27-year-old Knott, the 200-meter queen in 2019.