Bulauitan captures silver in Asian Athletics 2nd leg

Lerma Bulauitan Gabito gathered all what she could muster in her sixth and last jump to snatch the silver medal in the women’s long jump in the second leg of the Asian Athletics Grand Prix Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Tuguegarao-born Gabito leaped 6.31m to place second to Yelena Kochsheyeva of Kazakhstan who ruled the event with a 6.36m effort. The Filipinas’ record in the Indian leg was a mere 6.11 meters, placing a dismal fourth. The Kazakh, meantime, has maintained her winning ways, having topped the first stop of the four-leg AGP in Hyderabad, India last May 28 with an impressive 6.62-m mark.

"Masyadong malakas ang hangin. Hirap silang makaakyat sa checkmark kaya palaging foul ang attempt, lalo na si Maris," coach Joseph Sy related.

"Maris" is, of course, Maristella Torres, the 2003 Milo national open long jump winner, who could do no better than make 5.99 m to settle for fifth and last. Kyrggystan’s Elena Bobrovskala did 6.12 m to win the bronze for the second time in two starts.

Gabito’s runner-up finish is worth $1,500, the same amount won by Torres who took the silver in the first stop in India, registering 6.21. The two are the only Filipinos who qualified for the AGP in view of their lofty rankings in the Asian championships last year.