MANILA, Philippines –Mikhaela Kirsten Silverio bagged four gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics Thursday at Rizal Memorial Gymnastics Center on the eve of the formal opening ceremonies of the PSC-POC Philippine National Games.
The 16-year-old national pool member topped the ball event with 13.4 points in the seniors category for her first gold and then ruled the hoop apparatus with 13.95 points. She settled for second in the ribbon event won by Nasstassja Limos of General Santos City.
Silverio, who hails from Cebu City, returned to dominate the clubs (12.725) and clinch the individual all-around gold with 51.475 points.
Manila’s Jean Caluscusin placed second with 47.3 after a pair of silvers in the clubs and hoop while Anica Joy Shemyr Sirios of Mun-tinlupa settled for the bronze (44.8) following third-place finishes in the ribbon and hoop.
Sirios placed second in the ball (12.3 points) and Caluscusin wound up with the bronze medal (12.05). In the hoop, it was Caluscusin’s turn to settle for the silver (13.025) while Sirios (11.275) placed third.
“I wasn’t able to sweep my events, but it feels great as I did my best in all of my routines,” said Silverio, a strong candidate for the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, in August and the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.
She swept all five gold medals staked in the juniors category in last year’s PNG.
Marian Nicole Medina, Eunice Odag, AJ Melgar and Reyna Jean Cornel won a gold each in juniors rhythmic gymnastics.
Medina, a 12-year-old from St. James Academy-Malabon, topped the ball event (10.825) while the 14-year-old Cornel from Liloan, Cebu, took the individual all-around gold after ruling the hoop and ribbon.
Friday’s opening ceremony will be held at Ninoy Aquino Stadium inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex with about 8,000 athletes from 54 sports, including 10 for differently abled, participating.
Action in track and field, arnis, baseball, 3-on-3 basketball, boxing, cycling, judo, tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, shooting, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling starts tomorrow.