REALOSA, GIE JHON G.

BSMT2B5

10 Filipino Gold Medalist

(sea games 2019)
1. NATALIE ROSE UY

Natalie Uy clinched the gold medal for the Philippines and set a new
Southeast Asian Games record in pole vault Sunday night at NCC track and field
stadium. Just as the hometown crowd was reeling from the century dash loss by
Kristina Knott, the 25-year-old Uy, from Kettering, Ohio, cleared 4.25 meters to
beat Thai defending champion Sukanya Chomchuendee. Her victory marked the
first time the Philippines swept pole vault events after Ernest John Obiena also
shattered the record on the way to the men’s title Saturday.

2. CHEZKA CENTENO
 For the fourth time, Chezka Centeno prevailed over compatriot Rubilen Amit, 7-
3, to capture the gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games women’s 10-ball
tournament on Saturday, December 7 at the packed Manila Hotel Tent. The 20-year-old
Zamboanga City native secured a 2-nil edge to open the race-to-seven duel against her
fellow Filipina, but Amit managed to trim the lead by one in the 3rd set. Centeno added 3
more racks to the scoreboard, putting her one point away from a gold medal. However,
the seasoned veteran in Amit refused to go down easily, capitalizing on her opponent’s
back-to-back miscues to trail by 3.

3. MARGARITA OCHOA

Meggie Ochoa achieved her goal of dominating the Southeast Asian Games jiu-
jitsu tournament's women's -45kg event on Monday, December 9, at the Laus Convention
Center. Dropping to her usual -45kg category, Ochoa, who became a world champion in
2018, overpowered Vietnam's Dao Le Thu Thang, 13-0, for the gold. Before Ochoa's
statement win, Carlo Peña opened the floodgates with a 17-2 romp of Indonesia's Richard
Rengga in the men's 56kg final to bag the country's first jiu-jitsu gold of the day.

4. ABEGAIL ABAD
 The Philippines churned out four more gold medals in arnis after sweeping the
women’s padded stick competitions in arnis Monday in the 30th Southeast Asian
Games. Sheena Del Monte, Jedah-Marie Soriano, Ross Ashley Monville and Abegail
Abad turned in impressive performances to win their respective weight classes in
front of a big cheering crowd at Angeles University Foundation Arena.

5. ARIES TOLEDO

Aries Toledo sustained his strength throughout the 2019 Southeast Asian Games to
defend the men's decathlon title on Tuesday, December 10 at the New Clark City Athletics
stadium. Toledo, 25, was unstoppable until the end as he topped the table with 7,033 points.
Vietnam's Van Sui Bui crossed the line first in the last event, the men's 1500m, to edge Pinoy
Janry Ubas for the silver with 6,911 points. The Philippines had hoped for a 1-2 finish in the
event that tags the winner as Southeast Asia's "strongest man." Ubas' 5th place result in the men's
1500m run, however, was not enough to put a lock on 2nd place. He ended his SEA Games
campaign with 6,796 points.

6. PAULINE LOPEZ
 Pauline Lopez found her golden stride as she defeated Cambodia’s Aliza Chhoeung, 12-
4, in the women’s under-57 kilogram taekwondo final in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games
Sunday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The Asian Games bronze medalist found the mark early,
taking a 4-0 lead in the first round but turned things up a notch in the second.

7. NOEL NORADA

The Philippines ended an eight-year gold medal drought in wrestling's return to

the 30th Southeast Asian Games as two men's fighters climbed the top of the podium
at the Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga. Noel Norada and Jason Baucas
clinched golds in the -63kg and -72kg greco roman category by sweeping their
respective groups Monday. Norada overcame a tough challenge posed by eventual
silver medalist Cong Thanh Nguyen, 14-7, in the first match before dispatching
opponents from Laos, Thailand and Cambodia on his way to gold.

8. HERMIE MACARANAS
 Hermie Macaranas was unable to finish his last race in the first day of 2019 Southeast
Asian Games canoe. Not only did he finish his first race in Day 2, Saturday at Malawaan Park
here, he finished first to get gold in men's singles 200m. Macaranas clocked in at 43.60, a minute
and a half faster than silver medalist Myo Hlaing Win of Myanmar at 43.75 as well as bronze
winner Anh Duc Duong of Vietnam at 44.33. This was the opposite of how the 24-year-old's
race ended a day ago when he and Reymart Nevado got capsized near the midway mark.

9. LEA DENISE BELGIRA

LEA Denise Belgira snared the Philippines’ first gold in cycling, winning the women’s
downhill on Monday at the Tatlong Bungo in Barangay Niyugan, Laurel, Batangas. Belgira’s
conquest on Monday made up for two heartbreaks on Sunday where the Philippines failed to
land a gold medal at the start of the mountain bike competitions.

10. CHARLY SUAREZ

Filipino olympian boxer and two-time SEA Games gold medalist Charly Suarez advanced into
the semifinals of the Men's 60-KG Lightwieght division in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in
devastating fashion, scoring a second-round stoppage win over Myanmar's Arkar Paing Min,
Thursday evening at the PICC Forum Tent here. Suarez was simply a step ahead of the
opposition, as he controlled the center of the ring in the opening round and landed a crisp
combination at the end to cap of a strong first frame.