Para swimmer gets historic first triple gold for the Phl. in the Asian Para Games
Sports/Games

Para swimmer gets historic first triple gold for the Phl. in the Asian Para Games

Aug 5, 2022, 11:56 AM
Nicole Pulido

Nicole Pulido

Writer

Angel Otom emerges as the first triple gold medalist of the Philippines after bagging two more gold medals on Thursday and breaking a 17-year-old record.

Angel Otom of Olongapo City became the country's first triple gold medalist after adding two more golds yesterday at the Jatidiri Sports Complex pool in Semarangin in the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games.

Otom, 19, bagged her additional gold medals in the pool, and in the process, erased a 17- year record by Singaporean R.T. Goh with a time of 48.070s, nearly eight seconds ahead of the previous record of 56.80 back in 2005 when Manila hosted the Games.

“I just swam as fast as I could, just like what I’ve always done in practice,’’ said Otom, not disappointing her parents Marlou and Mila who came all the way from Manila to witness their daughter rewrite history.

After her record-breaking performance, the teenager went on to add another gold medal in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S5 event with a time of 41.40 seconds, as she sustained her lead in her final event.

“I am so happy but it has not sunk in yet that I am the country’s first triple gold medalist,” said Otom of her feat as a rookie in the biennial sportsfest.

She first earned her gold medal in the 50-m backstroke S5 at the start of the swimming competitions on Monday.

“Iba po talaga na makita namin na manalo ang anak naming si Angel. Ito po pala ang feeling nananalo ang anak namin (It’s a different feeling to see our daughter, Angel wins),” said Otom’s parents after witnessing their daughter on the podium for the first time.

Two other swimmers struck gold in Thursday’s competition as Ernie Gawilan picked up his second gold medal in the men’s 200-m individual medley SM7, breaking the existing record in 2:49.530, while Otom’s fellow rookie Marco Tinamisan claimed the fourth gold of the day in the men’s 50-m freestyle in 54.660 seconds.

The gold for Team PH on Thursday was from wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan who claimed his second gold medal in the men’s 400-m T5 race in 1:06.20.

Tags: #paralympics, #ASEAN, #swimming


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