Junior paddlers land historic podium finishes

Hermie Macaranas and Ojay Fuentes ignored the freezing temperature to complete a historic feat for the Philippines in the Asian junior canoe circuit.

For the first time in 16 years, the doubles pair sent the country to the podium with silver and bronze medals in the recent 2018 Asian Under-23 Canoe Sprint Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

“We knew what we were up against even before the races. The challenge was to adapt to the weather conditions and not be intimidated by the strong field of paddlers,” said Macaranas.

Macaranas and Fuentes placed third in the finals of the 1,000-meter canoe doubles and came back a day later with a silver medal in the 200m canoe doubles.