PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Swimmers Sophia Garra of Malabon City and Arvin Taguinota of Pasig City clinched their third gold medals in the 200-meter backstroke events to headline the second day of the Batang Pinoy Monday at the Ramon V. Mitra Sr. Sports Complex.
Garra clocked in two minutes and 30 seconds in the girls’ 12 to 13 200-m backstroke.
The Grade 6 student from De La Salle Araneta University previously won the girls’ 12 to 13 200-m individual medley and the 12 to 13 100-m freestyle event last Sunday.
Garra, whose coach is 2000 Sydney Olympics swimmer Jenny Rose Guerrero, said she is using the Batang Pinoy as a buildup for the Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships in Thailand from 6 to 8 December.
“It’s a lot more challenging here than in the Palaro because I was also going up against 13-year-old swimmers,” said Garra, a record-breaker in the recent Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City.
Anika Matiling of Bacolod City settled for a silver medal with a time of 2:38.82 minutes while Rhian Casey Casona of Mandaue City got the bronze with 2:43.68 minutes.
Meanwhile, Taguinota tallied 2:19.88 minutes to dominate the boys’ 12 to 13 200-m backstroke.
The 13-year-old swimmer, whose parents are based in Thailand, had won the boys’ 12 to 13 200-m individual medley and the boys’ 12 to 13 100-m freestyle event on opening day.
Pasig City swimming coach Jessie Lacuna, another Olympian, said they are more focused on his performance rather than the results.
“We’re just trying our best in this tournament. The medals are a bonus for him,” said Lacuna, a 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics campaigner.
“We’re happy how things turned out for him,” he added.
Behrouz Mojdeh of Parañaque City got the silver with a time of 2:24.49 minutes while Titus Sia of San Juan City took the bronze with a clocking of 2.26.24 minutes.
Also making waves is Nuche Ibit of Aklan, who won the girls’ 14 to 15 50-m butterfly event with a time of 29.95 seconds.
Also grabbing gold medals on the second day of the Batang Pinoy is Dirk Espelimbergo of San Juan del Monte, Bulacan in the boys’ 12 to 13 50-m butterfly with a time of 29.69 seconds, Makayla Fetalvero of Ilocos Sur in the girls’ 12 to 13 50-m butterfly with a time of 31.43 seconds. Gerald Esquivel of Bulacan Province in the boys’ 14 to 15 50-m butterfly with a time of 26.77 seconds, Patrick Vidal of Quezon City in the boys’ 16 to 17 50-m butterfly26.25 seconds, and Patricia Mae Santor of Antipolo City in the girls’ 50-m butterfly with 30.33 seconds.
In athletics, Charrlyn Samontina of General Trias City, Cavite, clocked in 7:41.52 minutes to clinch the gold in the girls’ U18 2000-m steeplechase while Jericho Cadag of Dasmariñas City won the boys’ U18 2000-m steeplechase with a time of 6:09.36 minutes.
Reynadine Jimenez, the niece of Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, won the Children’s Girls 40-kilogram division after lifting 43 kgs in the snatch and 59 kgs in the clean-and-jerk for a total lift of 102 kgs.
Over at the Palawan International Circuit, Ysabel Nicole Jamero of Iloilo City finished with 24:48 minutes in the girls’ 12 to 13 criterium.