Grospe bags Phl’s second ABG gold

SANYA, China — Leonard Grospe pocketed the Philippines’ second gold medal in the 6th Asian Beach Games (ABG) after ruling the men’s high jump competition on a cold and rainy Friday morning.

The 24-year-old standout cleared 2.05 meters on his first attempt — a decisive jump that secured him the top podium finish in a tightly contested field.

Grospe beat Chinese Taipei’s Po-Ting Yeh and Hao Zhang of China, who settled for the silver and bronze, respectively, after falling short of matching the winning mark.

Grospe added another golden highlight to Team Philippines’ campaign, reinforcing the country’s strong showing in the continental showpiece making its comeback after a decade.

“I am very happy and it was unexpected because the sand was slippery,” he said.

“This was my first time and it was the first that high jump (was held) on the beach and we adjusted,” Grospe added.

The country’s second mint came a day after Alexandria Luz Enriquez reigned in jiu-jitsu.

Grospe’s top finish likewise matched the Philippines’ gold production in the last ABG held in Da Nang, Vietnam, in 2-16.

At press time, the Philippines is running third overall with a 2-0-1 (gold-silver-bronze) tally.