Clemente nears bold pool target in Visayas leg of Batang Pinoy

Swimmer Gulliver Clive Clemente has a bold target in the Visayas leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy in Iloilo City.

“My goal is to win five gold medals and I’m getting closer to that,” said Clemente in Filipino after splashing his way to two more victories in the pool on Tuesday at Iloilo Sports Complex.

The 14-year-old from San Jose de Buenavista, Antique, ruled the boys’ 400-meter individual medley in five minutes and 18.92 seconds and, just a few minutes after emerging from the water, sealed another victory, the 50m breaststroke (33.48 seconds).

Clemente, an eighth grader at Antique National School, struck his first gold late Monday in the 200m IM.

“I’m preparing to win two more golds [on Wednesday],” said Clemente, the sentimental favorite in the slated boys’ 100m and 200m breast.

Regardless of Wednesday’s outcome, Clemente will book a trip to the national finals in October.

Bacolod City’s Krisha Aguilon and Aubrey Mae Mercado bagged their second gold medals in athletics after joining forces with Athena Rosa Desana and Shalthea Deloteavo to emerge triumphant in the girls’ 4x100m relay in 52.7 seconds.

Aguilon, the fastest female in these Games after securing the 100m title earlier, and 400m winner Mercado will race for the 200m gold on Thursday.

Marden Gabriel Villaruel sealed the boys’ 100m, making the Negros Occidental sprinter the fastest in the Games.