Torres snares gold in SEAG test event

CAPAS, Tarlac , Philippines — Marestella Torres-Sunang cleared 6.20 meters on her fourth attempt to rule the women’s long jump of the Southeast Asian Games athletics test event at the New Clark City Athletics stadium here.

In beating her Thai and Vietnamese rivals for the gold, Torres-Sunang moved closer to her target, the 6.45 meter mark which earned her the bronze medal back in the 2017 SEA Games.

“Nagpractice na ako dito. Pero this time, may mga foreigners. Hindi naman namin ito focus kasi, siningit lang ito sa training,” said Torres-Sunang, who set a national record of 6.72 meters, which qualified her to the Rio Olympics three years ago.

Thai bet Parinya Chuaimaroeng settled for the silver with her 6.17 meter performance on her fifth attempt while Vietnamese standout Thi Ngoc Ha Vu took the bronze (6.02 meters) on her first try.

Torres-Sunang’s feat came as defending women’s discus throw champion Insaeng Subenrat of Thailand heaved a mind-boggling 56.99 meters for the gold medal.

Subenrat’s feat surpassed the 55.23 meter heave which won her the gold medal in the 2017 SEA Games, with Filipino bets Daniella Daynata and Aira Teodosio coming up with heaves of 38.53 and 37.49 meters, respectively, for second and third places.

Torres-Sunang believes that she has now reached at least 70 percent of her peak in performance.

“Sa December, kailangan nanduon na,” remarked Torres-Sunang, who is on her seventh stint in the SEA Games.

The two-day test event in athletics is expected to show how ready Filipino tracksters are for  the Games.

 There’s a 72-member Philippine athletics’ team which is putting their skills to test against opponents from from Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Among the Philippines’ toughest challengers is top Vietnamese sprinter Tran Thi Yen Hoa, who will defend her crown in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.

Hoa showed up at the 20,000-seat New Clark City athletics’ stadium all by herself, and is getting ready to face Filipino bets Melissa Escoton and Jelly Diane in today’s running events.

Two years ago, Hoa took the gold in 13.4 seconds, and early this year, she had a slower time of 13.79 seconds in the Vietnamese National Championships.

Escoton, who had a time of 14.19 seconds in the recent PATAFA Weekly Relays, is the closest foe.

Twenty-four of the total 48 athletics’ events in the SEA Games will be played in the test events.

In diving, Koh Hui Yan of Malaysia took the women’s individual platform honors with 11.8 points, beating Jana Mary Villaflor of the Philippines (8.4 points).