CAPAS, Tarlac – Hussein Loraña, Jessa Mae Roda and Rica Balderama added a second gold to their collection while the national men’s 4×400-meter relay squad atoned for the loss of its 4×100-meter counterpart at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships presented by Philippine Sports Commission Sunday night here.
As hostilities in the five-day trackfest with ICTSI Foundation as title sponsor wound up, Loraña, Roda and Balderama picked up their second precious medal in topping the men’s and women’s 1,500 meter runs and women’s triple jump, respectively, at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium
Finally deciding to race in an event he last saw action in the 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championships in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Loraña ran a calculating race before breaking away in the last 80 meters, checking in 3:49.12 to complete a golden double after his victory in the 800-meter race the previous day.
Roda, who won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase earlier, added the women’s 1,500-meter mint to her trophy case in 4:37.01.
Joining them with two golds apiece was Balderama, who earlier ruled the long jump, leaping 12.42 meters for her second victory in the meet.
Sharing the limelight was the national men’s 4×400-metert team, led by Mico del Prado, son of middle distance running legend Isidro del Prado, anchoring it to a commanding win in three minutes and 13.25 seconds.
The other team members were Frederick Ramirez, Alrhyan Labita and Kharis Pantonial, all coached by the elder Del Prado, now a national coach, who proudly watched the team cruise to victory from the stands.
Triumphant at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in the men’s 4×100-meter relay the previous night, the KG Mercuries wound up with silver (3:14.31) and Team España bronze (3:18.68).
The La Salle-Taft quartet of Ashley Mecel Tabad, Jamaica Kate Saligan, Erica Marie Ruto and Lea Krizdea Ordinario outran two other squads in clinching the gold medal in the women’s 4×400 relay in 3:56.78.
Set to compete in the first Asian U-23 Athletics Championships slated July 9 to 12 in Ordos, China, the athlete said he and his father would discuss and decide whether he would also run the 1,500 at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in September.
Del Prado said that he was proud of leading the PH men’s 4×400-meter squad to triumph, offsetting the loss of their 4×100-meter counterparts – Clinton Kingsley, Labita, Pantonial and Khent Francis Jardin – and were relegated to the bronze medal the previous night.
However, Del Prado was dissatisfied by the quartet’s time, stressing that “it should be lower, around 3:08,” disclosing that the previous PH squad in the recent Singapore Open clocked 3:11.2 to capture the gold.
Together with Joyme Sequita, Umajesty Williams and Ramirez, he was a member of the PH quartet that booked the nationalnrecord of 3:04.89 in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2023.
He lamented the fact that due to visa issues he won’t be joining his teammates in the 2nd Asian Relays Championships in Shangyu, China.
