PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Philippines Team E’s Quendy Fernandez continued to shine in front of her hometown fans after notching her fourth gold medal in the swimming event to emerge as the most successful athlete so far in the 11th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games on Tuesday at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex here.
Fernandez, 19, went blistering hot in the girls’ 100-meter backstroke and clocked one minute and 7.21 seconds to rule the event, outshining eventual silver winner Lora Micah Amoguis (1:10.53) of PH Team A’s and Jann Maureen Doton of Team B (1:18.42).
“It’s a fun experience because I grew up competing here. I learned how to swim here since I picked up the sport when I was in kindergarten. Now, I’m already competing internationally,” said Fernandez, a second-year student from University of the Philippines Diliman.
“Seeing all those familiar faces is a major boost. It really brings so much joy and energy. Hopefully, I can increase my medals,” the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 Individual Sports’ Athlete of the Year winner added.
Fernandez, a Philippine National Games multi-medalist, also topped the 4x50 girls’ 200m medley and freestyle relays while notching her first gold in the 50m backstroke and silver in the 4x100 400m freestyle class last Monday.
PH Team A’s Philip Sahagun, meanwhile, snared his third gold in the boys’ 100m backstroke in 1:00.82. He hoped to add more mints when he competes in the 200m back and 4x100 medley.
In archery, Utada Lorica and Craig Gimongala settled for the silver in the mixed compound division after bowing to Indonesia’s Regina Tania and Rasya Muhammad, 153-139.
While in recurve, Philippines B (0) and E (4 (16*) got the silver and bronze while Malaysia B (6) snagged the gold.
In athletics on Monday, Milchay Moreno bagged the women’s 400m gold in 1:00.41 to beat Malaysia B’s Shakira Natashya (1:02.44), and her teammate Crislyn Grace Wenceslao (1:02.77).
The 17-year-old Moreno has two assignments left as she sets to vie in the girls 4x1 and 4x4 400m relays.
Other winners were Indonesia’s Muhammad Ariel Hairuddin (men’s 100m); Malaysia B’s Rizkah Abdullah (women’s 100m); Idwine Idris (men’s 400m); and Daniella Jimil (women’s discus), and PH A’s Jhonmark Sedoripa (men’s shot put).