Philippines bags 4x100m gold in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines — The quartet of Eric Cray, Clinton Bautista, Jomar Udtohan and Anfernee Lopena ran the third fastest time in Philippine history as they captured the men’s 4x100 meter relay gold in the 81st Singapore Open Track and Field Championships yesterday.

The foursome clocked 39.72 seconds to beat Hong Kong (40.05) and Indonesia’s Mochammad Abina, Joko Adi, Bayu Kertanegara and Eko Rimbawan (40.26) for the mint, giving Team Phl its second triumph after Kristina Knott’s 200m gold  Thursday.

The Filipinos’ winning time just fell short of the standing national record of 39.11 set at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games and the next-best 39.50 posted at the 2018 Asian Games.

It was a productive day in particular for Udtohan and Lopena, who landed podium finishes in the individual events earlier.

Udtohan won a silver in men’s 400m, setting a new personal best 46.95 seconds behind the victorious 46.74 of Japanese Rikuya Ito of Waseda University while Lopena took the bronze in the 100m dash in 10.63 seconds behind Japanese Kirara Shiraishi of Daitobunka U (10.46) and Indon Eko Rimbawan (10.53).

Cray also vied in the century dash final but slipped off the starting block and settled for eighth with 10.76. Knott failed to sweep the sprints, ending up fourth in the 100m with 11.89, struggling with menstrual cycle.

Daniella Daynata copped a silver in women’s discus throw (9.45m) while veteran Maristella Torres Sunang took the bronze in women’s long jump (6.05m) as Team Philippines hiked its collection to two golds, five silvers and four bronzes in the two-day trackfest. Three also set new personal bests.

“I’m rather pleased with the results and the positive effects of full-time training and coaching now showing,” said track and field association president Philip Ella Juico.