VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur—Lucena City’s Julian Louwers De Kam snatched a fourth swimming title, Caloocan City’s Maritanya Krog swept her cycling events and Masbate City’s Leonelyn Compuesto pocketed a third gold medal in the fourth and penultimate day of the Batang Pinoy National Championships on Tuesday.
De Kam, a Grade 9 student at the Calayan Educational Foundation, won the 400 meters gold medal in four minutes and 26.03 seconds at the Quirino Stadium Pool Center, beating Evenezir Polancos (4:26.54) of General Santos City and Meynard Geoff Marcelino (4:40.01) of San Jose del Monte.
“He [De Kam] deserves those gold medals because he works so hard all the time. I’m confident that he would win earlier despite the strong opposition,” Lucena City coach Alton Jhon de Luna told BusinessMirror. “We are praying he’ll get his fifth [gold] tomorrow (Wednesday).” “It was intense and I felt nervous.”
De Kam, 15, earlier captured golds in the boys’ 15-below 200 and 1,500 freestyle and 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle.
Lucena won nine of its 12 gold medals in swimming to rank eighth in the medals race currently topped by Baguio City with 27 golds. Quezon City and Lapu-Lapu each had 14 golds so far, but the National Capital Region bets had more silver and bronze medals (eight and 12) over the Cebu local government (six and five).
Krog was unbeatable in girls’ 13-under cycling following her convincing victory in the road race staged at the Vigan-Bantay Diversion Road.
She ruled the 30.20-km race in 58:16.725 for her third title after the criterium and individual time trial. Iloilo City’s Maria Louisse Crisselle Alejado crossed more than a second later for the silver but she had to beat via photo finish Calapan City’s Jhanah Abella.
“Again, I’m overwhelmed. I never expected to win one or two or three gold medals because this is my first time in this kind of race,” Krog said. “I just concentrated on myself and listened to what my mother and brother and sister’s advised me before the race.”
Her mother Marita Lucas and eldest brother Rex Luis were former national cyclists while Mathilda is a current national team member who rides for the Philipine Navy-Standard Insurance squad.
The other winners in cycling’s road race were Jerick Cabael, who annexed the road event to his ITT title, and Gwen Stefani Ponio of Davao del Norte in girls’ 14-15.
Compuesto, on the other hand, reigned supreme in the girls’ 400 meters in 1:00.63. Bohol’s Ma. Emely Balunan and Olongapo City’s Wella Mae Coronado settled for the silver and bronze with times of 1:02.51 and 1:04.67, respectively.
Compuesto earlier won the 200m gold and anchored Masbate’s 4×100 relay to victory. She’ll vie for a fourth gold in the 100 meters in the last day of competitions on Wednesday.