HANOI. – Christine Hallasgo capped the Philippine athletics’ team’s campaign in the 31st Southeast Asian Games here at the My Dihn National Stadium with a silver in the marathon Thursday.
Still in contention in the final 600 meters, Hallasgo was slowed down by cramps but soldiered on to pull through with the runner-up finish in the event she ruled during the 2019 edition in the Philippines.
Hallasgo finished with a time of 2:56.07 behind winner Odekta Naibaho Elvina (2:55.280) of Indonesia. Vietnam’s Ngoc Hoa Hoang Thi finished third at 2:57.350.
Hallasgo’s silver was the seventh for Team PH in these games, to go with five gold and 14 bronze medals.
The team failed to match or surpass its 11 gold, 8 silver and 8 bronze medals in the 2019 SEAG held at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Tarlac, but Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association coach Joeffrey Chua still considers the tracksters’ stint here a success.
“This version of the SEA Games is by far the most challenging because of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. But with one SEAG record, 5 new Philippine national records recorded, and 8 personal records established, this can be considered as a very successful campaign for Patafa national athletes,” said Chua.
The team was led by Asia’s best pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, who set a new Games record of 5.46 meters in ruling the gold.
The other gold medalists were William Morrison in the men’s shotput (18.14 meters), Clinton Bautista, who set a new national record in the 110m hurdles (13.78 seconds); Eric Cray, who won a fifth straight 400m hurdles crown and Kayla Richardson, who regained the 100-meter tiara (11.60 seconds) that she won in the 2015 Singapore edition.
Silver medalists were Kyla Richardson (200 meters, 23.56), Hokett delos Santos (pole vault, 5 meters), Janry Ubas (long jump, 7.73 meters), Aries Toledo (decathlon, 7499), Sarah Dequinan (Heptahlon), Harry Diones (triple jump, 15.87m) and Hallasgo.
