WHEELCHAIR racer Jerrold Pete Mangliwan punched a ticket to two events in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games with his thrilling record-breaking win in the men’s 400-meter T52 race in the last 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games, according to national athletics para coach Joel Deriada.
“Jerrold is now assured of going to the Paris Olympics because his winning time of one minute and .01.54 seconds in the 400-meter race was a high entry standard time,” noted Deriada, recalling the athlete’s come-from-behind victory in at the Huanglong Sports Center track oval last Oct. 27.
A native of Tabuk, Kalinga, the 44-year-old set a new national record in the event as he finally scored a golden breakthrough in his fourth straight appearance at the Asian Para Games on top a silver in the men’s 100-meter T52 contest with a clocking of 18.65 seconds.
Deriada explained that by virtue of his time in the 400-meter run, “Jerrold is also eligible to compete in the 100-meter race since a wheelchair racer can compete in at least two events based on Paralympic Games rules.”
Mangliwan is set to become the country’s third Paris Paralympic Games qualifier after national para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Angele Mae Otom, whose participation is expected to be made by the International Paralympic Committee in February next year.
Deriada disclosed that Cendy Asusano, a double gold medalist in the Cambodia Para Games, narrowly missed the high Paralympic cut in the women’s javelin throw T54 event by one centimeter with her fourth-place throw of 14.23 meters at the 4th Asian Para Games.
“But Cendy still has about three qualifying competitions to make the cut, and I know she will work hard on it to qualify for Paris,” said the coach.
He said the first is the 2023 World Ability Sport Games organized by World Para Athletics scheduled Dec. 1 to 9 in Nakhon Ratchashima, Thailand.