Manila: Ana Bhianca Espenilla and Jerico Cadag delivered silver and bronze medals in the Asian U20 Athletics Championships at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Complex in Hong Kong, the Philippine Sports Commission announced on Sunday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Espenilla, a 19-year-old javelin thrower from Tigao Island, Masbate, achieved a personal best of 52.20 meters in her final throw, securing a silver medal. Her earlier attempts marked a best effort of 47.71 meters. Espenilla expressed surprise at her performance, noting, "My first throws were really nothing so I was surprised with my last throw. I just told myself to take it easy, I'll just throw it so I didn't really expect to go 52 (meters)."
Chinese Taipei's Yu-chin Tai claimed the gold medal with a throw of 56.71 meters, while South Korea's Kim Minji earned the bronze with 51.51 meters. Espenilla will now advance to compete in the World U20 Championships in Oregon from August 5-9, alongside her compatriots Jeralyn Rodriguez, Naomi Cesar, and Ivan Cabanda.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano commented on the significance of the event, stating, "This is truly a remarkable feat. The Asian U20 Championships are, in essence, the Asian Games for athletes under 20 and a showcase of the continent's finest young talents. What we are witnessing here is nothing less than the future of Asian athletics."
Meanwhile, Jerico Cadag earned a bronze medal in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing with a time of 9:35.10. He trailed behind India's Nikhil Chandrashekar and Japan's Yuu Kato, who finished with times of 9:25.44 and 9:27.30, respectively. Cadag, originally a javelin thrower, transitioned to middle-distance running, excelling in both the 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters events.
Reflecting on his performance, Cadag stated, "I don't want to waste the opportunities they gave me to compete for the country. This is the biggest race I've ever participated in but I'll do better in the next ones." Cadag is set to begin his studies as an engineering freshman at National University.
