LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Sophia Garra of the National Capital Region (NCR) hiked her gold medal collection to five Wednesday and looked headed to winning two more in the 65th Palarong Pambansa at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Stadium last Wednesday.
Garra, 12, didn’t just come out on top.
She set the national record in the girls 7-12 200-meter individual medley with a time of two minutes and 31.41 seconds and won another mint in the 100m freestyle event with a time of 1:02.51.
Last Tuesday, Garra bagged the gold in the 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke, and the 4x50m medley relay with Adrienne Reese Tacuboy, Kaeley Vianna Cabalida and Ceanna Gabrielle Mitra.
But instead of celebrating her latest feat, the Grade 6 De La Salle Araneta University student was visibly frustrated as she failed to break the 100m freestyle record.
The standing Palaro record remains at 1:02.25 by Alexi Kouzenye Cabayaran of Negros in last year’s Palaro in Cebu City.
Despite missing the record by milliseconds, Jenny Guerrero, Garra’s coach, is still proud of what her ward has pulled off so far in this year’s Palaro.
“It happens. It is still a good swim for her,” said Guerrero, who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I don’t think her emotions will affect her performance. I think it was just a burst of emotion on her part.”
With Garra swimming in the 50m freestyle and the 4x50m freestyle, Guerrero is optimistic her swimmer will be able to clinch the final two golds and become the most bemedalled swimmer in this year’s Palaro.
“I’m still happy, in a way, that she isn’t content with her win as she knows she can do better,” Guerrero said.
“I think she and Titus (Sia) will perform well in the Palaro.”
Distance runner Jhul Ian Cañalita of Central Visayas couldn’t help but smash another Palaro record, this time in the second boys 3000m steeplechase.
After setting a new record in the secondary boys 5000m event last Tuesday, the 16-year-old runner from Bohol set a new standard with 9:23.89 for his second gold.
So far, only gymnast Armand Hernandez Jr. has the same number of gold medals.
Cañalita erased the previous record set of 9:35.2 set by Jerry Vasquez of Central Luzon in the 2019 Palaro in Davao City.
“I knew I was going to break the record because during our time trials, my time was so close to it,” Cañalita said.
“My dream is to make it to the Philippine team and compete in the Olympics.”
Also making waves on Day 3 was Ana Bhianca Espenilla of the Bicol Region after tallying 48.47m, surpassing the previous record of 47.72m by Ann Katherine Quitoy of Western Visayas in 2018.
The Masbate Sports Academy graduate ends her Palaro stint with three gold medals as she starts a new chapter of her career in Far Eastern University (FEU).
“I will be going to Manila this July. I was being recruited by (FEU) Coach Roselyn Hamero,” Espenilla said.
The 100m events for both elementary and secondary levels are being held at press time as well as the final of the secondary boys 3x3 basketball.
The fourth day of this year’s Palaro starts at 6 a.m. with the secondary boys 1500m event.