The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
BANGKOK — Hokett Delos Santos and John Cabang Tolentino shone brightest on a big and memorable day for athletics in the 33rd SEA Games at the Supachalasai National Stadium here on Friday.
Delos Santos, the 23-year-old rising star from University of Santo Tomas, claimed top honors in the men’s decathlon after finishing with a total of 6,917 points, highlighted by a clocking of 4:52.22 in the 1,500-meters.
Singkhon Suttisak of Thailand took the silver medal with 6,649 points while Richsan Idan Fauzan of Indonesia settled for the bronze with 6,582 points.
Another Filipino campaigner, Janry Ubas, missed the podium as he finished fourth overall with 6, 573 points.
“‘Yung experience ko, okay naman. ‘Yung preparation namin kasi two months before nagkaroon ako ng strain then nagpahinga ako halos wala akong ginawa,” said Delos Santos
Sharing the limelight was Tolentino, who shattered the SEA Games record and delivered the Philippines’ first gold medal in athletics.
Tolentino clocked 13.66 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, eclipsing the previous mark of 13.69 set by Thailand’s Jamras Rittidet in the 2015 SEA Games.
The Filipino champion powered past Singapore’s Chen Xiang Ang, who took the silver medal in 13.75, and Abdul Lattif Mohamad Armin Zahryl, who secured the bronze with 13.85.
“For me, it’s a big honor to raise the flag on the top of the podium for the Philippines. So I’m super happy,” said Tolentino.
“I had some wrong steps but I’m strong so it didn’t matter,” added Tolentino
SEA Games debutant Jeralyn Rodriguez claimed the bronze medal in the women’s 400 meters and punched her ticket to the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships at Hayward Field, University of Oregon.
Rodriguez posted a time of 53.40, finishing behind Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc, who struck gold, and Thailand’s Josephine Onuorah Chinenye, who earned silver.
Leonard Grospe added another bronze medal in the men’s high jump with a leap of 2.19, also a personal best.
Grospe, who was tied with Kampton Kam of Singapore, lost the silver via countback.
Tawan Kaeodam of Thailand captured the gold medal with a leap of 2.22.