Quendy Fernandez did it again as she pushed herself to her limits and shattered a four-year-old record in swimming on Day 4 of the 2023 Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City.
The 18-year-old Fernandez erased the 50-meter mark in the secondary girls’ backstroke, finishing with 30.67 seconds for her second gold medal in a three-medal haul in the weeklong meet organized by the Department of Education.
“I just went all out in the last stretches. It’s all about presence of mind and prayers,” said Fernandez, an incoming engineering freshman at the University of Philippines-Diliman.
Fernandez, who erased the 2019 record of Samantha Coronel (31.34 seconds), also took a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke when she ended in second place (2:24.97), with Mishka Sy taking the gold in 2:24.68.
Nine records have so far fallen in swimming at noontime, with Aklan standout Jennuel Boo de Leon bringing down the secondary boys’ 50-meter backstroke mark of John Paderes in 2019 with his fast time of 26.78 seconds.
Eight swimmers breached the four-year-old mark of Paderes which was at 29.18, as Ivo Enot of the National Capital Region settled for the silver (27.86) and Region IV-A’s Peter Cyrus Dean bagged the bronze (28.13).
Ira Talosig, an 11th grader from Midsayap, North Cotabato, stayed on course in her bid to become one of the most bemedaled athletes in the meet.
The 17-year-old Talosig nabbed her third gold medal in the secondary girls’ 1500-meter freestyle in 18 minutes, 25.09 seconds.
Teammate Thea Canda was second in 18:49.63, with Daryn Joy Sta. Maria of Region in third (19:00.13).
Talosig earlier ruled the 400-meter freestyle and the 200-meter freestyle.
In archery, Naina Tagle of Central Visayas shot 327 points to erase the 2019 mark of Charmaine Villamor in the secondary girls’ side.
Venice Garcia of the National Capital Region scooped the silver medal with 313 points while Faith Novesteras bagged the bronze with 312 points.
Tagle and Garcia, meanwhile, switched places in the 70m distance, a debuting archery event in the Palarong Pambansa.
Garcia set the standard in the 70m by scoring 310 points to win the gold and defeat Garcia, who settled for the silver with 306 points.
Central Visayas bet Miel Cipriano matched a four-year old record in the 50-meter distance secondary boys’ side, hitting 316 points. NCR’s Sean Tanco also hold the mark.
In athletics, Randy Degolacion (region 10) topped the secondary boys’ steeplechase, finishing ahead in 10:18.45, with Mark Castro (region) taking silver, and Region IV-A Mark Astillero snatching the bronze.