PARIS. – After finishing the Paris Olympics at 35th place overall, the highest finish for the country ever, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino looked forward to the Los Angeles Games in 2028, saying opportunities await Pinoy bets.
“We’re the best performer in Southeast Asia and No. 8 in Asia,” Tolentino said Sunday just hours before the closing ceremony here. “We wanted more but with two gold and two bronze medals, should we ask for more from Paris?”
Carlos Yulo’s gold medals in the floor exercise and vault events of artistic gymnastics and the bronze medals of boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aiza Villegas put the Philippines in a share of 35th place with Hong-Kong China in the medals race.
China was No. 1 as of noon Sunday with 39 golds, Japan was fourth with 18, South Korea seventh with 13, Uzbekistan (eighth) at No. 13, Iran (three) at No. 22, Azerbaijan (two with two silvers and two bronzes) at No. 28 and Chinese Taipei (two golds with five bronzes) at No. 33.
The Philippines emerged as the No. 1 among countries competing in the SEA Games, with its closest pursuer, Indonesia, also winning two gold medals and a bronze in badminton.
Kazakhstan, an Asian Games powerhouse, surprisingly only had one gold medal in judo.
“We’ve gone quality in Paris–in gymnastics, a blue-chip sport,” Tolentino said. “And looking at the SEA Games countries, we outperformed our closest neighbors.”
Indonesia was a notch below the Philippines in the overall tally with gold medals in sports climbing and weightlifting but only had one bronze in badminton.
