PRIDE OF ANTIQUE. Swimmer Guiliver Clive Clemente wins the boys' 13-15 200m Individual Medley gold medal at the Visayas qualifying leg of the 2019 Philippine Youth Games-Batang Pinoy (PYG-BP) in Iloilo City on Monday (Feb. 25, 2019). (Photo by Jean Malanum)
ILOILO CITY -- Palarong Pambansa medalist Gulliver Clive Clemente added another feather in his cap when he delivered Antique's first gold medal in swimming at the start of the Philippine Youth Games-Batang Pinoy (PYG-BP) Visayas qualifying leg here.
The 5-foot-7 Clemente clocked 2:26.75 in the boys' 13-15 200-meter Individual Medley (IM) event on Monday at the Iloilo Sports Complex pool.
Seth Visef Somoza of Dumaguete City (2:34.33) finished second while Jan Kyle Malinao of Ormoc City (2:35.77) finished third.
"I'm happy I got the gold," said the soft-spoken Clemente, who dominated the same event during the 2017 Palarong Pambansa held in his hometown of San Jose with a time of 2:27.18.
He also had three silvers coming from the 50m and 100m breaststroke, and 50-m freestyle events and two bronzes in the 4x100 medley and freestyle relay events.
"I'm proud of my performance. I was hoping to improve my personal best, that was the goal," said the 14-year-old Clemente, who pocketed the gold in the 200-m IM with a personal best time of 2:23.00 during the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) tournament held in Roxas City, Capiz last week.
Aside from his gold medal at the WVRAA, Clemente also managed to win the silver in the 200m breaststroke event (2:35.75) and the bronze in the 100m breaststroke event (1:12.00) -- both his personal best times.
Clemente, the youngest among three siblings who are all swimmers, is hoping to keep his winning form and surpass his achievement last year in the PYG-BP Visayas qualifying leg held in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental where he secured one gold (400m IM), three silvers (50m and 200m breaststroke, and 200m IM) and one bronze (100-m breaststroke).
Clemente is set to swim in four more events -- 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke and 400m IM -- in the tournament organized by the Philippine Sports Commission for children 15 years old and below.
"I will try to do my best in my four other events," said Clemente, who has been training under coach Jo Reuel Galindo of Binarayan Tadpoles Swimming Club since he was four years old.
Clemente looks up to his elder brother Guillermo, who holds the record in the 50m breaststroke (30.7) and 10m breaststroke (1:07.37) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
He set the records in 2016 as a varsity swimmer of San Beda College where he earned a marketing management degree.
"I also admire British swimmer Adam Peaty, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist in the 100m breaststroke event. He currently holds the world record in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events," said Clemente, whose other elder brother, Guillfer, was a silver medalist in the 4x100 medley relay event at the 2012 Palarong Pambansa in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental scooped five gold medals in the swimming competition of the week-long tournament participated by 2,849 athletes from 71 local government units (LGUs).
The gold winners from Negros Occidental were Troy Castro (boys' 12-under 100m freestyle), Rianna Montelibano (girls' 12-under 100m freestyle), Alexi Kouzen Cabayaran (girls' 13-15 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke) and Jay-R Punzalan (boys' 13-15 50m backstroke).
Ormoc City claimed four gold medals courtesy of Coby Marcus Rivilla (boys' 12-under 200m IM), Marie Angela Cimafranca (girls' 13-15 200m IM), Rex Dela Cruz Jr. (boys' 12-under 50m backstroke) and Martina Anela Estrella (girls' 12-under 50m backstroke).
Other gold winners were Kristel Rhey Napallatan of Iloilo City (girls' 12-under 200m IM) and Anthony Jude Presas of Tagbilaran City (boys' 13-15 100m freestyle), Jennuel Booh De Leon of Kalibo, Aklan (boys' 15-under 1,500m freestyle) and Karla Ysabelle Labayen of Bacolod City (girls' 15-under 800m freestyle).
In athletics, Cebu province bagged two gold medals courtesy of Dona Liza Torres and Gio Begunia.
Torres topped the girls' high jump event in 1.35 meters to beat Shanily Nieves of Cebu City (1.30 meters) and Vanessa Pranusa of Negros Occidental (1.25 meters).
Begunia, on the other hand, registered 36.79 meters in the boys' discus throw event.
Mark June Mercedes of Maasin City, Leyte (34.20 meters) and Gabriel Villanueva of Negros Occidental (33.88 meters) placed third. (PNA)
