By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Guimarasnon Joida Gadot Gagnao fell short of a golden finish in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Morodok Techno National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Guimaras province’s Buenavista-native runner settled for a silver medal finish in the event after finishing the race in 10 minutes and 40.960 seconds, behind gold medal winner Thi Oanh Nguyen of Vietnam (10:34.47).

Gagnao’s silver medal finish came after she failed to land a podium finish in the women’s 5,000-m run, where she placed fourth behind two runners from Vietnam and one from Indonesia.

Gagnao, a former Far Eastern University Tamaraws athletics team standout, aims to add up to her medal collection when she competes in the women’s 10,000-m run on Friday, May 12.

Meanwhile, Janry Ubas pocketed the gold medal in the men’s long jump event with a best leap of 7.85m before he settled for a silver medal finish in the men’s decathlon event.

Umajesty Williams and Frederick Ramirez captured a silver and a bronze medal, respectively, after finishing second and third in the men’s 400-m, behind gold medal winner Umar Osman of Malaysia and Sonny Wagdos in the men’s 5,000-m athletics.

On the other hand, Thea Salvino delivered a gold medal in swimming by winning the women’s 100-m backstroke in a record-setting fashion of one minute and 1.64 seconds.

Jerald Jacinto, Thanya dela Cruz, Jarod Hatch, and Jasmine Alkhaldi settled for a silver medal finish in the mixed 4×100-m relay with a time of three minutes and 57.01 seconds.

Hatch also won a silver medal in the men’s 100-m butterfly, Alkhaldi won a bronze in the women’s 100-m butterfly and Xiandi Chua in the women’s 400-m individual medley also contributed a bronze medal.

Team Philippines also netted a gold medal finish in the women’s soft tennis team of Christy Sañosa, Princess Catindig, Virvienica Bejosano, and Fatima Amir, which defeated Indonesia in the finals, 5-4, 4-2, 5-0.

Shania Mae Mendoza took home a silver medal in the women’s ouk chaktrang 60-minute singles event as the duo of Paulo Bersamina and Jan Emmanuel Garcia ended with bronze on the men’s side.

Team Philippines also got three bronze medals in pencak silat from Ian Christopher Calo (men’s tanding class E), Rogielyn Parado (women’s tanding class C) and Angeline Viriña (women’s tanding class A), while the tandem of Maria Soberre and April Joy Alarcon bagged a bronze medal in the women’s pétanque doubles event./ASC, WDJ