Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 19) — Rio Olympian Mary Joy Tabal delivered the country’s first gold medal in the 29th Southeast Asian Games by ruling the women’s marathon Saturday morning in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Tabal finished the race in first place hitting a record of 2:48:24.
Vietnam’s Hoang Thi Thanh settled for silver for his 2:55:43 run, while Thailand’s Natthaya Thanaronnawat took home the bronze finishing the five loop course in 2:58:17.
“Sana po ito na ang umpisa ng mas maraming gold win para sa Pilipinas,” the Philippine Sports Commission quoted Tabal as saying.
[Translation: I hope this leads to many more gold medal wins for the Philippines.]
The Philippines now has 4 medals in the SEA Games, with one silver in sepak takraw, and two bronze medals in archery.
Meanwhile, PH bet Jeson Agravante failed to finish the men’s marathon after suffering cramps. Singapore’s Soh Rio Yong Guillaume, the 2015 gold medalist, triumphed anew with a time of 2:29:27. Indonesia’s Prayogo Agus (2:31.20) came in second, while Malaysia’s Muhaizar Bin Mohamad (2:31.52) was the third place finisher.
