Lead cemented with 81 golds

Rowing also produced two golds yesterday for the host nation with Joanie Delgaco and Melcah Caballero (lightweight women’s doubles) and Chris Nievarez (women’s singles sculls) topping their events.

Soaring high Margielyn Didal strikes winning form during the women’s street skate finals. YUMMIE DINGDING @tribunephl_yumi

CAPAS CITY — Golds came from various fronts for Team Philippines as the host nation moved on the cusp of the overall crown with another solid showing in Day 7 of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

The Philippines tightened its grip of the overall lead with 81 golds, 59 silvers and 60 bronze medals. Indonesia is second with 47-45-53 (gold-silver-bronze) haul, followed by Vietnam (41-46-59), Malaysia (35-25-33), Singapore (34-26-39), Thailand (29-46-54), Myanmar (2-11-26), Cambodia (2-4-18), Brunei (1-5-5) and Laos (0-3-13).

Gymnast Daniella Reggie de la Pisa put up an inspiring performance in the hoop apparatus event of rhythmic gymnastics at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum as taekwondo, athletics, rowing, canoe-kayaking, lawn and soft tennis, karate, fencing and sailing also contributed in the 16-gold haul yesterday.

The 16-year old De la Pisa, a cancer survivor, tallied 17.750 points to bag the gold medal and beat Izzah Amzan (16.500) and Dict Weg Kwan (15.900), both from Malaysia.

“It was hard to be away from my family. Last month, I was crying every day because I was really missing my family,” said De la Pisa, the first Filipina rhythmic gymnast to win a gold in the biennial meet since Maria Victoria Jacinto in 2011.

Fil-Am sprinter Kristina Knott broke the women’s 200-meter record in less than a day after clocking 23.01 to give Team Philippines its second gold in athletics here at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium.

After submitting 23.07 in the preliminary heat in the morning, the 24-year old Knott erased the meet mark and the Philippine record set by fellow Fil-Am Zion Corrales-Nelson (23.32) established early this year in a race in the United States.

“I just tried to stay relaxed. I was like that 95 percent of the race,” said Knott, who missed the Olympic qualifying time of 22.80 seconds. “I didn’t get it, but I’ll settle for this gold.”

Vietnam’s Tu Chin Le (23.45) and Shanti Veronica Pereira (23.77) of Singapore claimed the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Tokyo Olympics-bound EJ Obiena, as expected, won the men’s pole vault with 5.45 meters, enough to set a new meet record, but very far from his personal best of 5.81 meters.

Taekwondo was the main source of golds after Rodolfo Reyes Jr. (men’s individual poomsae), Jocelyn Ninobla (women’s individual poomsae), the men’s poomsae team and Jeordan Dominguez (men’s freestyle indivual poomsae) triumphed in their respective events.

The Filipino jins also added silver medals courtesy of Rinna Babanto and Dustin Jacob Mella (mixed pair), Janna Dominique Oliva (women’s individual poomsae) and women’s poomsae team.

Rowing also produced two golds yesterday for the host nation with Joanie Delgaco and Melcah Caballero (lightweight women’s doubles) and Chris Nievarez (women’s singles sculls) topping their events.

Hermie Macaranas (200-m men’s singles canoe) finally nailed a gold after coming up with a silver in the 1,000-meter race while the keelboat fleet racing team in sailing also added a gold in the country’s haul.

The men’s doubles tennis pair of Francis Alcanta and Jeson Petrombon beat compatriots Treat Huey and Reuben Gonzales, 7-6, 7-5, to take the gold, while Chezka Centeno continued her domination over Rubilen Amit, 7-3, for the women’s 9-ball singles gold.

Noelle Conchita Corazaon Manalac (women’s singles soft tennis) and Junna Tsukkii (women’s 50kg kumite) gave their respective sports the first gold.

Margielyn Didal pocketed her second gold in the meet after beating compatriot Christiana Means in the street skateboard women event. The Philippine women’s fencing team took the gold after beating Singapore, 45-38, in the team epee.

Chloe Isleta gave the swimming team its second silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke, while SEA Games veteran Jasmine Alkhaldi copped two bronze medals in 50-meter butterfly and 100-meter backstroke.