Team Philippines after the men’s 4×400-meter final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. –POOL PHOTO
HANGZHOU, China—Another Philippine record got scrubbed off the books.
The country’s men’s 4x400m relay squad of Umajesty Williams, Frederick Ramirez, Joyme Sequita and Miguel Carlo Del Prado reset the national mark in the event anew despite placing fifth on Wednesday night in 19th Asian Games.
They clocked three minutes and 4.89 seconds, eclipsing the previous record they generated the day before (3:06.15). India ruled the race in 3:01.58 while Qatar checked in second in 3:02.05 and Sri Lanka copped the bronze in 3:02.55.
Interestingly, the 28-year-old Del Prado helped reset his father’s own national standard in the event almost 38 years ago when they topped their qualifying heat on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.
Starring track and field idol Isidro Del Prado, the men’s 4x400m relay team of the Philippines in the 1985 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand registered the record-breaker in 3:06.58.
Joining Isidro, who now coaches the national team, back then were Marlon Pagalilavan, Romeo Gido and Honesto Larce.
PH women’s 4x400m team in the Asian Games. –POOL PHOTO
The women’s 4x400m side likewise ended up fifth with Robyn Brown, Angel Frank, Maureen Emily Schrijvers and Lauren Hoffman collectively clocking 3:40.78 in the race won by Bahrain in 3:27.65
India got the silver in 3:27.85 followed by Sri Lanka’s 3:30.88, which was good for the bronze.
The national athletics team has so far delivered the lone gold medal for Team Philippines through pole vault’s EJ Obiena and wrapped its campaign in this Chinese e-commerce hub with finalists in eight events.
“On a very quick analysis, we sent 13 athletes to Jakarta 2018 and we hadn’t won a medal there and we had made only four finals. Here, we have 15 athletes and we made it to the finals eight times,’’ said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano.
Aside from Obiena and the men’s and women’s 4x400m squads, John Tolentino (men’s 110m hurdles), Robyn Brown and Lauren Hoffman (women’s 400m hurdles), Kristina Knott (women’s 200m), Janry Ubas (men’s long jump) and Ronne Malipay (men’s triple jump) advanced to the finals.
“Our batting average to get into the finals in Jakarta was just 25 percent. Now, we made 50 percent. This is the Asian Games and it’s no joke to get into the finals. Our progression doubled and I think we’re slowly getting there,’’ added Capistrano.