HANGZHOU – Filipino athlete Jerrold Mangliwan clinched his first silver medal in the men's 100-meter T52 finals at the 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games on Tuesday. This marks Mangliwan's first medal in the continental event.
According to a new release by the Philippines News Agency, Mangliwan executed a tactical race, overtaking South Korea's Jeon Jeongdae in the last 30 meters to finish with a personal best time of 18.65 seconds. This achievement comes after he placed fourth in the same event during the 2018 Asian Para Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Japan's Ito Tatsuya won the gold with a new meet record time of 17.41 seconds, while Jeon settled for the bronze, clocking 18.67 seconds.
Mangliwan, who is a Tokyo Paralympic Games veteran, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity. "Nagpapasalamat ako kay God na binigyan niya ako ng ganitong pagkakataon. First time na mag-Asian Para Games medal pagkatapos ng apat na kompetisyon. Wala na siguro akong masasabi pa," said Mangliwan. The athlete dedicated his silver medal to his cousin Handsome Magdiwang, who was recently involved in an accident.
Following his silver-winning performance, Mangliwan is expected to compete for another medal in his main event, the men's 400-meter T52, scheduled later in the week. He previously won two golds in the Cambodian ASEAN Para Games last June.
Also aiming to contribute to the Philippines' medal haul was swimmer Ernie Gawilan, who had earlier finished second in the heats for the men's 400-meter freestyle S7 event. Gawilan, who holds the current Asian Para Games record in this event, had apparently preserved his strength for the finals.
Other Filipino athletes in the competition included APG rookie Joseph Ariel Alegarbes, who advanced to the finals in the men's 100-meter backstroke S14 event, and Angel Mae Otom, who finished fourth in the women's 200-meter freestyle S5 finals. Marco Tinamisan and Roland Sabio failed to progress beyond their respective heats, while powerlifter Achelle Guion narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the women's -45-kilogram division with a lift of 83 kilos.