Ilocano blackbelt shines in US Open

A young blackbelter from Pinili, Ilocos Norte named Julius Cinco made waves in the US Open taekwondo championships recently by winning the Philippines’ lone gold medal at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Fighting in the finweight class (up to 99 pounds), the 16-year-old Cinco crushed American Jensen Ishida with a reliable back leg 45 attack and a bullet roundhouse combination to win 6-2 in the finals.

RP team head coach Ricky Santiago Jr. described Cinco’s showing in his first ever international stint as "fantastic." "He was focused in all his bouts," said Santiago.

Cinco, who was sponsored by Ilocos Norte sports consultant Michael Keon, was introduced to taekwondo by his late teacher, Lilia Bautista, at Pinili National High four years ago and got his blackbelt under the tutelage of Roger Valdez.

A gold medalist in the recent Carlos Palanca Jr. all-blackbelt tournament, Cinco swept past two other Americans in the quarters and semifinals. He toppled Asher Greene, 4-2, in the semis.

Three other Filipinos — Czarina Cabuco of Laguna, John Ferdinand Bahoy of Las Piñas and Kimberly Mae Menchavez — won a medal each.

Cabuco took a silver in the junior women flyweight class, Bahoy earned a bronze in the junior men bantamweight tilt and Menchavez copped a bronze in the blackbelt poomse competition.

The other RP jins who competed in the US Open were Abegail Punzal of Burgos, Ilocos Norte; Zhara Jammie Velasco and Joseph Justin Pacquing of Las Piñas and Angelimark Barro of Dao, Pampanga.