Bagsit powers to 2nd victory

ARCHAND Christian Bagsit raises his arms in victory as he crosses the payoff line ahead of the Thai anchor in the men’s 4x400m relay finals at Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Naypyitaw, Burma, Thursday. At left is third Filipino runner Julius Nierras. RAFFY LERMA

NAYPYITAW—Archand Christian Bagsit pulled off a phenomenal run in final leg of the men’s 4×400-meter relay to become the second Filipino double-gold medalist at the 27th Southeast Asian Games here.

On a day when golds on the track proved elusive, the quartet of Isidro del Prado Jr., Julius Nierras, Edgardo Alejan and Bagsit put on a swashbuckling performance that capped a productive stint for Philippine athletics.

The PH quartet clocked 3 minutes 09.32 seconds to beat Thailand (3:09.81) and Malaysia (3:15.06) and improve on its silver-medal finish in 2011 Indonesia.

Only Del Prado, who replaced Junrey Bano, was not a member of that foursome.

“All the hard work paid off,” said the 22-year-old Bagsit, who also ruled the men’s 400m. “I never thought we could win it.”

Trailing by a several meters after receiving the baton from Nierras, Bagsit, a financial management major at Letran, chased the last Thai runner and surged ahead in the last 50m.

“When I reached the final straight, I knew that the gold’s ours,” said the protege of two-time Olympian Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito.

After five days of action at Wunna Theikdi Stadium here, the Filipinos have seized six gold, four silver and three bronze medals, a vast improvement on their 2-9-5 collection two years ago.

Apart from Bagsit’s twin victories, long-jumper Henry Dagmil, Eric Shauwn Cray (400m hurdles), decathlete Jesson Cid and Christopher Ulboc Jr. (3000m steeplechase) also contributed to the most productive stint by a PH national sports association here.

Princess Superal was the country’s first double gold medalist here after ruling invididual play while powering the country’s team to victory in women’s golf.

Cray earlier placed sixth in the men’s 110m hurdles. The Filipino-American from University of Oklahoma clocked 14.34 seconds in the race won by Thailand’s Jamras Rittidet (13.72).

“It’s not my event,” said Cray. “I fared bad.”

In the men’s 1,500m, Melvin Guarte placed fourth with a time of 3:58.43 and Ulboc landed seventh out of eight runners (4:05.76). Vietnam’s Van Thai Dong ruled the event in 3:58.02.

Fil-Am Jessica Barnard finished last out of four runners in the women’s 1500m (4:22.64) won by Vietnam’s Thi Thao Do in 4:22.64.

Benigno Marayag placed fifth (15.59 meters) in men’s triple jump won by another Viet, Van Hung Nguyen (16.67).