Contrasting wins for Alora, Uy
NAYPYITAW—Kirstie Elaine Alora struck with the most devastating weapon in her arsenal while Kristopher Robert Uy toppled a favored foe as they bagged two more taekwondo gold medals Saturday in the 27th Southeast Asian Games here.
Patiently waiting for the right moment, Alora, an export management graduate from College of St. Benilde, landed a perfectly timed Asian turning long kick on Cambodian Davin Sorn’s head for a 6-4 victory in the women’s over 74 kg finale.
Uy, a finance major from De Salle University, didn’t have the flair of Alora in finishing off Vietnam’s Quang Duc Dinh but got the job done just the same, a come-from-behind 7-6 win in the men’s over 87 kg.
“I just saw the opening and launched my signature kick,” said Alora, who defended the title she won two years ago in Indonesia.
Six inches shorter than her opponent, the 5-foot-4 Alora probed her enemy throughout and went for the kill when Sorn accidentally put her guard down.
“She’s tall but soft. The plan was to avoid the attacks and go hard on her,” said the 24-year-old bronze medalist in the 2006 and 2012 world championships.
Trailing by three points, Uy sneaked in a kick to the head, which tied the count after the referees reviewed the hit on the monitor.
The 23-year-old silver medalist in the 2012 Korean Open then slammed another in the mid-section late in the third round for the clincher.
“Coach Kitoy just told me to relax and go for it when there’s a chance to attack,” said Uy, a SEA Games first-timer.
“Elaine executed the perfect fight plan while Kris never gave up after his opponent got the advantage,” said coach Roberto “Kitoy” Cruz, a 2000 Sydney Olympian and six-time SEAG champion.
Francis Aaron Agojo settled for a silver after Thai Ramnarong Sawekwiharee won the fierce exchange in the men’s under 54 kg finals.
Earlier, Mary Anjelay Pelaez (women’s under 46 kg) and Jane Rafaelle Narra (women’s under 73 kg) salvaged a pair of bronzes after losing in the semifinals.
The Filipinos topped their 4-3-5 output in Indonesia by one bronze.
