NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand – Angel Otom plucked two more gold medals as she bannered the Philippines on the third day of the 13th ASEAN Para Games at the 80th Birthday Aquatics Center on Friday.
The 22-year-old Otom broke the women’s 100-meter backstroke S4-S5 record as she tallied one minute and 43.87 seconds for her third gold medal in this prestigious competition for differently abled bodies with the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Paralympic Committee backing the national delegation.
Her time eclipsed the 18-year-record of 2:33.66 set by local bet Junkum Thatananatch back in the 2008 Nakhon Ratchasima Para Games.
The University of the Philippines student grabbed another gold medal in the women’s 200m freestyle S5 event after clocking in 3:44.49.
Otom said she used the pain of her debut in the 2024 Paris Paralympics as lessons in her recent swims.
She made it to the final of the 50m backstroke S5 and the 50m butterfly S5 in the French capital but finished in sixth and fifth place, respectively.
“From Paris, ang dami kong naging disappointments and na-open ko ‘yun sa lahat. From now on, naging lesson talaga sa akin ‘yun and and lesson na nakuha ko is to fight,” said Otom, who already has four gold medals and one silver medal under her belt.
“May mga times na kahit sa cold room, hindi mo kakayanin yan pero kailangan mo magtiwala. Minsan, mahirap siyang i-apply sa sarili pero dapat pagkatiwalaan natin sarili natin.”
Otom will look to end her campaign on a high note as she competes in the women’s 50m freestyle S4-S5 and the mixed 4×50 m medley relay 20 points S1-S10 events on Saturday.
Veteran swimmer Ernie Gawilan settled for a silver medal in the men’s 100m freestyle S7 event with a time of 1:09.32.
In athletics, King James Reyes dominated the men’s 1500m T46 event, clocking a time of 4:17.93 last Thursday at the 80th Birthday Stadium.
Cyril Ongcoy also made an impressive ASEAN Para Games debut as he ruled the men’s 1500m T12 for a new meet record at 4:26.32, erasing the previous time of 4:47.25 by Domingos Pereira Lobato of Timor Leste in the 11th ASEAN Para Games in Solo, Indonesia.
Alyana Nuñez made an impressive Para Games debut too as she struck gold in the women’s discus throw F11 with 25.24 meters.
