MANILA, Philippines — Ana Bhianca Espenilla and Jerico Cadag rose to the occasion, delivering silver and bronze medals that underscored the promise of Philippine athletics at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong.
For Espenilla, the moment came when she least expected it. The 19-year-old javelin thrower from Tigao Island, Masbate had struggled through her first five attempts, her best mark stuck at 47.71 meters, far from medal contention.
But on her sixth and final throw, Espenilla unleashed a personal-best 52.20 meters at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, catapulting her to the silver medal and the biggest podium finish of her young career.
"My first few throws were really nothing, so I was surprised by my last throw. I just told myself to let whatever happens happen, I'll just throw it, so I really didn't expect it to reach 52 (meters),” said Espenilla.
The breakthrough gave her a timely confidence boost ahead of the World U20 Athletics Championships in Oregon on August 5–9, where she will join Jeralyn Rodriguez (400m), Naomi Cesar (800m), and Ivan Cabanda (400m hurdles).
“This is truly a remarkable feat. The Asian U20 Championships are, in essence, the Asian Games for athletes under 20 and a showcase of the continent’s finest young talents,’’ said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association President Terry Capistrano.
“What we are witnessing here is nothing less than the future of Asian athletics,” added Capistrano.
The 18-year-old Cadag proved his mettle in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final. Against a field of 13 runners, Cadag clocked 9:35.10 to clinch the bronze medal behind India’s Nikhil Chandrashekar (9:25.44) and Japan’s Yuu Kato (9:27.30).
With Espenilla’s silver and Cadag’s bronze, the Philippine athletics squad supported by the Philippine Sports Commission closed the meet with two medals in a resounding way.
Cadag’s medal was the culmination of a journey marked by reinvention. Once a javelin thrower, he realized his true niche lay in distance running.
He shifted to the 1500m and 3000m, where his persistence paid off with two Palarong Pambansa golds and a silver at the SEA U18 competitions.
Here in Hong Kong, he drew motivation from Vietnamese rival Luong Xuan Son, who had beaten him in Malaysia two years ago.
This time, Cadag turned the tables with a career-defining performance witnessed by PATAFA Secretary General Jasper Tanhueco and Flubert Cosue at the stands along with coaches Roselyn Hamero and Jonah Genilza.
"I don't want to waste the opportunities they gave me to fight for the country. This is the biggest race I have ever joined, but I will do even better in the next ones,” said Cadag, an incoming engineering freshman at National University.
A gold medalist in Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa, Espenilla now sets her sights on breaking the national record and dreams of one day competing for the national team at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Yu-chin Tai of Taiwan seized the gold with a throw of 56.71m, while South Korea’s Kim Minji secured the bronze at 51.51m. TMT
