Gawilan extends Asian Para Games reign

NAGOYA – There was no way Ernie Gawilan would let the Asian Para Games gold medal closest to his heart be taken away from him.

Even if he passed out during the race.

“Inisip ko na lang kanina nung first 200 meters wala pa namang namamatay sa swimming, inisip ko may medic naman pag halimbawang hindi ko na kaya at mag collapse ako,” said the gritty 35-year-old Davao native moments after seizing the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 gold in four minutes and 56.72 seconds yesterday.

“Kaya pumikit na ako last 10 meters nung nakita ko siya sa likod ko,” he added.

Gawilan was referring to closest pursuer in the young Zhang Yilong of China, who actually led the Filipino in the first 200 meters before fading away and settling for the silver in 5:01.36 at the Rainbow Hall of the Nagoya City General Gymnasium.

Singaporean Toh Wei Soong, a friend as well as a familiar foe by Gawilan, took the bronze in 5:24.23.

More importantly, Gawilan’s time earned a direct spot to the 2028 LA Olympics.

He said he will hang his medal to his eight-month-old baby girl Eliana as well as his wife, Ilonah Jane, whom he will celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary on Oct. 28 back home in Davao City.

That win kept Gawilan’s stranglehold of the event he dominated in the last three Asian Para Games editions after reigning supreme in 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia and Hangzhou, China three years back.

In all, it was Gawilan’s fifth mint after raking in three in Jakarta and one in Hangzhou.

His performance was a ray of sunshine for what had been a bleak start for the Filipinos, who suffered excruciating setbacks in other fronts.

The day started with Patrick Lee and Arthus Bucay finishing 12th and 14th in cycling’s 1000m time trial with times of 1:14.888 and 1:19.496 at the Izu Velodrome.