HONG KONG — Ana Bhianca Espenilla and Jerico Cadag rose to the occasion, delivering silver and bronze medals that underscored the promise of Philippine athletics at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships.
For Espenilla, the moment came when she least expected it. The 19-year-old javelin thrower from Tigao Island, Masbate had struggled through her first five attempts, her best mark stuck at 47.71 meters, far from medal contention.
But on her sixth and final throw, Espenilla unleashed a personal-best 52.20 meters at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, catapulting her to the silver medal and the biggest podium finish of her young career.
The breakthrough gave her a timely confidence boost ahead of the World U20 Athletics Championships in Oregon on August 5–9, where she will join Jeralyn Rodriguez (400m), Naomi Cesar (800m), and Ivan Cabanda (400m hurdles).
“This is truly a remarkable feat. The Asian U20 Championships are, in essence, the Asian Games for athletes under 20 and a showcase of the continent’s finest young talents,’’ said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association President Terry Capistrano.
“What we are witnessing here is nothing less than the future of Asian athletics,” Capistrano added.
The 18-year-old Cadag proved his mettle in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final. Against a field of 13 runners, Cadag clocked 9:35.10 to clinch the bronze medal behind India’s Nikhil Chandrashekar (9:25.44) and Japan’s Yuu Kato (9:27.30).
With Espenilla’s silver and Cadag’s bronze, the Philippine athletics squad supported by the Philippine Sports Commission closed the meet with two medals in a resounding way.
