SEA Games record surpassed

Du Xian Hua and Zhang Guirong, two Chinese nationals now carrying the fight for Singapore, created the biggest ripples in yesterday’s opening-day action in the Milo Invitational Track and Field Championships when they surpassed the standing Southeast Asian Games record in women’s shotput at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Hua, 21, won the gold with a throw of 17.54 meters while Guirong, 20, took the silver at 17.34 followed by Mitchel Martinez of Bago City, who took the bronze with her 13.0-meter effort. Hua and Guirong both surpassed the SEA Games record of 17.25 being held by Thailand’s Jutaporn Krasaeyan, and set during the 1997 Jakarta SEAG.

Loh Lin Kok, president of the Singapore Track and Field Association, said Hua and Guirong are Chinese nationals who have yet to obtain Singaporean citizenships in time for the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games this September.

Delivering the golds for the Philippines in the four-day meet which drew six foreign countries were Sydney Olympics veteran Edward Buenavista in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Narcisa Atienza of University of Santo Tomas in the women’s high jump, and Harry Canillo in the men’s 20,000-meter walk.

Buenavista, 22, of the Philippine Air Force, won the gold in eight minutes and 55.48 seconds, improving his personal best of 8.58, while Atienza struck with her jump of 1.70 meters. Canillo, of the Philippine Navy, ruled the 20,000-meter walk under the intense summer heat in 1:45:03.01.