Team Philippines’ Carlos Yulo, EJ Obiena banner 30-gold medal haul in SEA Games

Team Philippines has claimed 30 golds, 34 silvers, and 44 bronze medals to currently rank third among Southeast Asian nations in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) happening now in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Filipino athletes have so far won golds in disciplines such as artistic gymnastics, athletics, bowling, dancesport, duathlon and triathlon events, fencing, kickboxing, martial arts events, pole vault, and swimming in the biennial meet with host nation Vietnam currently leading the overall medal standings among 11 countries.

Team Philippines looks to repeat its historic feat as overall champion of the SEA Games which was hosted on home soil in 2019 when the country tallied 149 golds, 117 silvers, and 121 bronze medals – the biggest gold and overall medal haul for the Philippines in any Southeast Asian Games competition.

The Philippines is aiming to win more medals in sports including golf, sepak takraw, bowling, billiard sports, tennis, and basketball.

Here are the highlights of the nation’s gold-winning athletes so far in the 2021 SEA Games:

• Mary Francine Padios gave Team Philippines its first gold medal in the SEA Games with her victory in the Pencak Silat Women’s Seni (Artistic) Tunggal Single event.
• Jack Escarpe won the nation’s second gold medal in the kurash, men’s -73kg event.
• World champion gymnast Carlos Yulo won five gold medals as he wrapped up his SEA Games campaign on May 16. Yulo reigned in the vault and horizontal bar events of the day. He earlier topped the individual all-around, floor exercise, and still rings events.

Watch Caloy Yulo’s winning routine here:

• Filipino kickboxers Gina Iniong-Araos and Jean Claude Saclag Kitong brought glory for the Philippines with two gold medals in their respective events.
• Athletes Kim Mangrobang and Fernando Casares each won gold medals in their triathlon race events. Mangrobang also bagged gold in the women’s individual duathlon category.
• Filipina fencer Samantha “Sam” Kyle Catantan of Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) topped the women’s individual foil fencing event.
• Filipina martial artists Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez ruled the women’s events in jiu-jitsu.

Meggie Ochoa’s winning move here:

Annie Ramirez’s winning maneuver here:

• World champion pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena defended his Southeast Asian men’s pole vault gold as he set a new Southeast Asian record of 5.46 meters at the biennial meet. Obiena was the Philippines’ flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the Hanoi SEA Games which kicked off on May 12.

Watch EJ Obiena’s gold-winning vault here:

• Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan Cruz won gold in the women’s vault and silver in the all-around events. Cruz also teamed up with gymnasts Ma. Cristina Loberanes, Kursten Rogue Lopez, Lucia Gabriel Gutierrez, Ancilla Lucia Mari Manzano, and Chiara Andrew, and won the gold in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team event.
• Agatha Wong delivered a gold medal for the Philippines after a stellar showing in the women’s taolu taijijian event.
• Wushu delivered another gold medal for the Philippines as Arnel Mandal dominated the Men’s Sanda 56kg event.
• Filipino trackster William Morrison defended his gold in the Shot Put event after throwing 18.14 meters.
• Dancesport duo Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo De Leon delivered a gold medal for the Philippines after ruling the Single Dance Latin Cha-cha event. They earlier won two silvers in the Single Dance Latin Jive and All Five Dances Latin events of the SEA Games.
• Merwin Tan ended an 11-year drought for the Philippines after winning a gold medal in bowling in the Men’s Singles event.
• Clinton Kingsley Bautista snatched another gold medal for the Philippines by dominating the Athletics Men’s 110m/100m Hurdles event.
• Filipino taekwondo jin Jocel Lyn Ninobla bagged a gold medal finish for Team Philippines in the Taekwondo Women’s Individual Recognized Poomsae competition.
• The dancing pair of Ana Nualla and Sean Aranar won three golds in the Dancesport events of Single Standard Dance Tango, Single Dance Standard Viennese Waltz, and All Five Dances Standard.
• Another dancesport duo, Mark Jayson Gayon Corales and Mary Joy Renigen Guiao, bagged gold in the Single Standard Slow Foxtrot event.
• Chloe Isleta gave Team Philippines its latest and first gold medal in swimming by ruling the Women’s 200m Backstroke event.

Here are the gold medals of Team Philippines as of May 16, 2022, 9:30 PM:

1. Mary Francine Padios Cezar – pencak silat, seni tunggal
2. Jackielou Escarpe Agon – kurash, men’s -73kg
3. Carlos Edriel Yulo – artistic gymnastics’ men’s all around
4. Gina Iniong-Araos – kickboxing, women’s low kick -60kg
5. Jean Claude Saclag Kitong – kickboxing, men’s low kick -63.5kg
6. Fernando Jose Casares Tan – triathlon, men’s individual triathlon
7. Marion Kim Mangrobang Exconde – triathlon, women’s individual triathlon
8. Samantha Catantan Kyle – fencing, women’s foil individual
9. Meggie Ochoa – jujitsu, women’s U 48kg – GI
10. Annie Ramirez – jujitsu, women’s U 62kg – GI
11. Ernest John Obiena – athletics, men’s pole vault
12. Aleah Finnegan, Ma. Cristina Loberanes, Kursten Rogue Lopez, Lucia Gabriel Gutierrez, Ancilla Lucia Mari Manzano, Chiara Andrew – artistic, women’s team
13. Agatha Chrystenzen Wong Fernandez – wushu, women’s taolu taijijian
14. Marion Kim Mangrobang Exconde – duathlon, women’s individual duathlon
15. Carlos Edriel Yulo – artistic gymnastics, men’s floor exercise
16. Aleah Finnegan Cruz – artistic, women’s vault table
17. Arnel Mandal Roa – wushu, men’s sanda 56kg
18. Carlos Edriel Yulo – artistic gymnastics, men’s still rings
19. William Morrison III Edward – athletics, men’s shot put
20. Michael Angelo Marquez, Stephanie Sabalo De Leon – dancesport, single dance, latin, cha-cha
21. Merwin Matheiu Tan Garcia – bowling, men’s single
22. Carlos Edriel Yulo – artistic gymnastics, men’s vault table
23. Carlos Edriel Yulo – artistic gymnastics, men’s high bar
24. Clinton Kingsley Bautista – athletics, men’s 110m H/100m H
25. Jocel Lyn Ninobla Ortiz – women’s individual recognized poomsae
26. Sean Mischa Aranar Fajardo, Ana Leonila Nualla – dancesport, single dance, standard, Viennese waltz
27. Sean Mischa Aranar Fajardo, Ana Leonila Nualla – dancesport, single dance, standard, tango
28. Sean Mischa Aranar Fajardo, Ana Leonila Nualla – dancesport, all five dances, standard – W, T, V, F, Q
29. Mark Jayson Gayon Corales, Mary Joy Renigen Guiao – dancesport, single dance, standard, slow foxtrot
30. Chloe Kennedy Anne Isleta Doromal – swimming, women’s 200 backstroke

SEND CHEERS and CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to Team Philippines’ athletes who have already delivered medals for the nation in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) happening now in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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