CAPAS, Tarlac — High jumper Leonard Grospe soared to a record-breaking 2.23 meters on his first try, highlighting an action-packed Friday night in the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium here.
Just over a month after setting a new national and personal standard of 2.22 meters at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 101 trackfest on 5 May at the same arena, the lean and lanky Grospe did it again with a flourish in the meet with the ICTSI Foundation as the title sponsor.
Feeling ambitious, the 33rd Southeast Asia Games bronze medalist raised the bar to 2.25 but could go no further as coach Sean Guevarra, who held the old record of 2.17 meters that stood for 19 years until Grospe broke it for the first time in the 2024 edition of the meet with a 2.20 jump, was proudly watching.
It marked a night when Paris Olympian Lauren Hoffman completed a hurdles golden double with a close victory in the 100-meter hurdles in 13.55 seconds, relegating reigning 33rd Southeast Asian Games champion Dina Aulia to second place (13.63), and Army’s Jelly Diane Paragile to third (14.16) in the competition co-presented by the BCDA and New Clark City.
Two-time SEA Games men’s 110-meter hurdles gold medalist Clinton Kingsley Bautisa, a native of neighboring Camiling, Tarlac, also recaptured his title in 14.26 seconds, nosing out up and coming young teammate Tochukwu Okolo (14.43) while Papua New Guinea’s Robert Oa (14.51) placed third.
Sharing the limelight was Filipino-American newcomer Gabe Borado, who stunned a tough field that included national athletes Mico del Prado and Frederick Ramirez in storming to victory in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 47.05 seconds in the annual trackfest also backed by Pocari Sweat, Clark Water, Energya and Masiv Sports.
The son of Asia’s former premier 400-meter runner and now national coach Isidro del Prado clocked 47.29 seconds for silver, and Francis Patanpatan of Pinoy Athletics had bronze (47.79) in the championships sponsored by CEL Logistics Inc. and UAAGI Auto Group Inc.