KUALA LUMPUR -- Kaitlin Cera Lianne de Guzman has never imagined she would win three medals in her first stint in the Southeast Asian Games, first with a gold by topping the uneven bars on Tuesday here.
But on Wednesday, the 17-year-old De Guzman claimed two more medals -- a silver in the floor exercise and a bronze in the beam -- in the women's artistic gymnastics competition at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).
She scored 13.025 to win silver in the floor exercises behind Malaysian Farah Ann (13.450). Indonesian RifdaIrfanaluthfi settled for the bronze with her 13.000 points.
In the beam event, De Guzman had a final score of 12.300 for bronze as Irfanaluthfi registered 13.125 points to win the gold while Malaysian Tan IngYueh scored 13.100 points to clinch the silver medal.
"It caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to get a medal or win the gold," said De Guzman, who is the best performing athlete in the gymnastics team with three medals.
She topped the uneven bars with 12.875 points. Malaysian Tracie Ang won the silver medal with 12.550 points while Irfanaluthfi got the bronze with 12.075 points.
"I just came in to have fun and for the experience," said the senior student at the Epic Charter Home School in Dallas, Texas.
De Guzman will return to the United States on Aug. 26 together with her mother, Cintamoni, who won the gold in the uneven bars in the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
"I will be resting and let my hip heal, then I will be preparing for the 2018 Asian Games," said Kaitlin, a member of the Metroplex Gymnastics in Texas.
"I don't really want to think too far ahead, more of like what's now, taking it one day at a time, but definitely training for future meets," she said when asked about her plans next year.
Kaitlin also expressed her gratitude to the Filipino people back home.
"Thank you for your prayers, love and support. I hope I have made my country proud. God bless," said Kaitlin.
Cintamoni said she is very proud of her daughter's achievement.
"We are very happy for Kaitlin. I know that the medals she won here will inspire her to achieve more," said Cintamoni, who is also a member of the team that won the bronze in the 1997 Jakarta SEA Games.
Aside from Kaitlin's three medals, the Philippines also pocketed the gold medal in the men's floor exercise, courtesy of Reynaldo Capellan, who scored 13.950 points beating Malaysian ZulBahrin Bin Mat Asri’s 13.750 points and Thai Tikumporn Surintornta’s 13.670 points.
The Philippine gymnastics delegation will be going back to Manila on Thursday afternoon. (PNA)
