SEA Games: Filipinos now 6th with five more golds

Kayla Anise Richardson of the Philippines (center) finishes first for the gold medal at the 28th SEA Games Women’s 100m finals held at the National Stadium, Singapore Sports Hub. INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

SINGAPORE—Hammer thrower Caleb Stuart and sprinters Eric Cray and Kayla Richardson made sure their long journey halfway around the world was well worth it.

The three United States-based track and field aces joined billiards prodigy Chezka Centeno and gymnast Reyland Capellan in bagging gold medals that lifted Team Philippines to sixth overall at the 28th Southeast Asian Games here.

READ: Stuart sets SEA Games record in hammer throw, bags PH’s 8th gold

Stuart, a strapping bear of a man, sparked the Filipinos’ five-gold haul early Tuesday with a record-shattering win at the renowned National Stadium here.

The 24-year-old from Riverside, California, heaved 65.53 meters in his third attempt to smash the mark that Thailand’s Tantipong Phetchaiya (62.23m) set in the 2013 Burma (Myanmar) Games.

Cray and Richardson later swept the centerpiece 100-meter event as the Philippines stormed past Burma in the medal tally with 12 gold, 17 silver and 29 bronze medals. The Burmese fell to seventh spot with a 10-16-18 tally.

READ: Cray, Richardson clinch 100m dash gold medals for PH

Cray became the first Filipino to top the men’s century dash since the country joined the Games in 1977.

Centeno, the youngest member of the delegation at 15 years old, delivered the second gold for the day after upstaging two-time world champion and five-time SEA Games titlist Rubilen Amit, 7-5, in their women’s 9-ball singles final.

READ: SEA Games: Centeno, 15, is new 9-ball pool queen

It was a crowning moment for Filipino cue artists, who also cornered the men’s 9-ball doubles gold through the tandem of Carlo Biado and Warren Kiamco.

In the afternoon, 21-year-old gymnast Reyland Capellan ruled the men’s floor exercise, dazzling the judges with his routine to earn 14.733 points. He bested Singapore’s Hoe Wan Toon (14.566) and Vietnam’s Pham Phuoc Hung (14.500).

READ: Filipino gymnast Capellan wins PH’s 10th gold

But it was the twin victories of Cray and Richardson in the evening that lifted the spirits of the Philippine delegation which could only manage a gold Monday through practical shooter Elvie Baldivino.

Cray topped the men’s 100m in 10.25 seconds, erasing the national record of 10.33 he himself set during the Bobcat Classic in California only last April.

Indonesians Yaspi Boby and Iswandi Iswandi placed second and third in a dead heat at 10.45.

“After topping the heats this morning, I knew I’ll get that gold,” said Cray, who will also race in the 400m and 110m hurdles, where he is the reigning champion.

Richardson, debuting on the international stage, nipped Thailand’s Tassaporn Wannakit in a photo-finish after both clocked 11.76 seconds. Singapore’s Veronica Pereira took the bronze (11.88).

“I noticed that I made a mistake in the heats,” said the 17-year-old California-based trackster. “I didn’t get out at once (off the blocks) and just caught up in the end.”

She’ll aim for a golden double in the 200m Wednesday and will anchor the Filipinos in the women’s 4x100m relay.

The host country found a gold mine in swimming with tanker Joseph Schooling scooping four golds that hiked its tally to 51-43-54 (gold-silver-bronze)

Defending champion Thailand was second with a 37-40-35 tally, followed by Vietnam with 33-15-37.