AGUSAN DEL SUR — Riley Alindogan of Region 5 (Bicol Region) delivered a sensational campaign in the 66th Palarong Pambansa, racking up five gold medals to emerge as one of the most dominant athletes of the meet.
But her bid for a sixth gold was foiled by a record-breaking swim from Meadow Frances Harrison of Region 3 (Central Luzon) in the elementary girls’ 50-meter (m) breaststroke on Wednesday at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Governor Democrito O. Plaza Memorial Sports Complex.
Alindogan stamped her class early, ruling the 400-m freestyle, 100-m breaststroke, 200-m freestyle, 200-m individual medley and anchoring her team to victory in the 4x50-meter medley relay.
Entering the 50-m breaststroke, the Bicolana tanker was heavily favored to win her sixth gold and further cement her status as the most decorated swimmer of this year’s edition.
But Harrison had other plans.
Displaying composure beyond her years, the 11-year-old Central Luzon standout delivered the swim of her life, touching the wall in a blazing 35.80 seconds to clinch the gold medal and rewrite the Palarong Pambansa record books.
In the process, she shattered the previous mark of 36.51 seconds set by National Capital Region’s Krystal Ava David in the 2023 edition.
Alindogan, who had been nearly untouchable in her earlier events, settled for silver this time after clocking 36.84 seconds.
“It feels good. I thought I couldn’t do it. When I saw Riley, she really looked strong, and when I saw the papers, I saw that she could finish in 36 seconds. I got motivated to beat her time,” Harrison said, reflecting on her breakthrough performance.
The victory was Harrison’s first gold medal in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa, but it came in emphatic fashion — denying one of the meet’s brightest stars while stamping her own arrival on the national stage.
“I kind of expected it. It was more of a 50-50 since I kind of felt it and kind of didn’t feel it. That’s why I am so happy to break the record. I am very hungry to get a medal,” she added.
Despite missing out on a sixth gold, Alindogan’s campaign remains nothing short of remarkable. She still has one remaining team event scheduled on Thursday, where she could potentially add another gold to her already glittering haul.
Outside the pool, standout performances continued in athletics, highlighted by Jhul Ian Cañalita of Central Visayas, who once again proved his dominance in long-distance events.
Cañalita shattered his own Palarong Pambansa records in both the 5,000-m run and the 3,000-m steeplechase in the secondary boys’ division.
He ruled the 5,000 m with a time of 15:15.22, comfortably ahead of Eric Joachim Hechanova of Region 1 (Ilocos Region), who clocked 15:37.58 for silver, and Elmer Dizon of Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), who finished with a bronze in 15:56.32.
Cañalita then completed a golden double in the steeplechase, crossing the finish line in 9:11.40. Dizon once again settled for silver with a time of 9:33.32, while NCR’s Jaime Rafael secured bronze after posting 9:47.10.
In weightlifting, a lifter from Zamboanga Peninsula captured his first Palarong Pambansa gold medal in the secondary boys’ 48-kilogram (kg) class after lifting a total of 183 kg, composed of an 83-kg snatch and a 100-kg clean and jerk.
Meanwhile, Region 4A (Calabarzon) showcased its strength in karatedo, with Aadam Oliva Afif dominating the Individual Boys Kumite and Patrick Eadric Dane Delos Reyes ruling the Individual Boys Kata, adding to their region’s growing medal tally.
