32nd SEA Games: PH adds six golds to medal haul as Yulo-led gymnasts lead way

Carlos Yulo and his compatriots led the Philippines to a six-gold haul in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday, May 9.

Yulo took the gold in the parallel bars, while Ivan Cruz topped the floor exercise, and Juancho Miguel Besana reigned in the vault at Olympic Stadium.

Teia Salvino broke the national and SEA Games records for the women's 100-meter backstroke title, and Janry Ubas ended his hunt for a men's long jump crown.

The Philippine women's national soft tennis team also bagged the gold, while Gilas Pilipinas and Filipina volleybelles dominated their opponents for a strong start.

Meanwhile, Filipina boxers Irish Magno and Risa Pasuit punched their tickets to the finals.

Carlos Yulo led the Philippine gymnastics team's gold rush with another top finish in the parallel bars. He scored 14.850 points, besting Vietnam's Phuong Thanh Dinh with 14.00 points and Malaysia's Ng Chun Cheng with 13.100 points, who took the silver and bronze, respectively. This is Yulo's second gold medal after winning the individual all-around on Tuesday.

Yulo also finished behind eventual champion Van Khanh of Vietnam in the still rings competition earlier, scoring 14.00 points, while the latter listed 14.200 points. Malaysia's Ally Hamuda Abdullah settled for bronze with 13.00 points.

Ivan Cruz, Yulo's second cousin, scored 13.85 points in the floor exercise, beating Thailand's Tikumporn Surintornta, who finished second with a 13.800 performance. Indonesia's Joseph Judan Hatoguan secured the bronze with a score of 13.50 points.

Juancho Miguel Besana became the newest gold medalist for the Philippines after winning the vault apparatus with a score of 14.425 points. He overcame Thailand's Tikumporn Surintornta (14.150) and Vietnamese Hai Khang Trinh (14.050).

Overall, the men's gymnastics team earned the country six medals, including four gold and two silver medals.

Filipina swimmer Salvino clocked 1:01.64 to take the gold in the women's 100m backstroke at Modorok Complex.

She reset the previous national record and erased the 1:01.89 SEA Games record established by Nguyen Thi Anh Vien during the 2017 biennial meet in Malaysia.

In previous SEA Games editions, Ubas fell just short of the gold as he snagged silver in Hanoi 2019 and Vietnam 2021, and bronze in Malaysia 2017.

This time, he leaped 7.85m in the first attempt to claim his first-ever gold in the long jump competition.

Ubas eclipsed Vietnam's Tien Trong Nguyen (7.66) and Indonesia's Sapwaturrahman Sapwaturrahman (7.62), who placed second and third, respectively.

The Philippines dominated the women's soft tennis team event, defeating Indonesia in the championship round, 5-4, 4-2, 5-0, at the Olympic Complex Soft Tennis Sports Center.

Bien Zoleta-Mañalac, Princess Catindig, Bambi Zoleta, Christy Sanosa, Fatima Amirul, and Virvienica Bejosano comprised the Filipino squad that defeated Indonesian bets Allif Nafiiah, Dwi Rahayu Pitri, Sharon Cornelia Watupongoh, Siti Nur Arasy, and Voni Darlina.

They also went undefeated in pool play with victories against Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, and Thailand before repeating their win against the host in the semifinals.

The Philippine men's national team began their redemption tour with a huge 45-point beating of Malaysia, 94-49, at Morodok Techo Elephant Hall 2.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser delivered 15 points, and Justin Brownlee added 11 for the nationals, gaining momentum ahead of their encounter against Cambodia, expected to parade multiple naturalized players, on Thursday, May 11.

Gilas dominated the ball game from the start and never looked back. The Philippines, considered the strongest nation in the SEA region in men's basketball, aims to reclaim the crown they lost to Indonesia last year in Hanoi.

The Philippine women's national volleyball team (PWNVT) dominated the young Cambodian side, 25-5, 25-5, 25-5, inside the Olympic Stadium, which was filled with a raucous Filipino crowd.

The Philippines will next face 2021 SEA Games silver medalist Vietnam on Wednesday at 6 pm (Manila time). The Vietnamese squad is coming from a 25-13, 25-8, 25-7 win against Singapore.

Magno and Pasuit did not disappoint as both boxers marched to the gold medal match of their respective weight classes.

Magno outclassed Novita Sinadia in the semifinal round of the women's 54kg division via a unanimous decision (UD) victory.

She will take on Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in the finals, which is a rematch of their second-round showdown in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which Magno lost by UD.

On the other hand, Pasuit dealt Singapore's Nur Sabrina Binte Mohd Faizal with a heartbreaking split decision loss in the women's 63kg semis.

Pasuit will fight Vietnam's Thi Linh Ha for the gold.