Paniqui, Buenavista claim silver, bronze

PALEMBANG – Eric Paniqui showed none of the signs of dehydration and extreme fatigue that sent his compatriot on a stretcher to the nearest hospital as he checked in laughing, good for another round, in the grueling 42.125 km marathon of the Southeast Asian Games.

Paniqui, whose four marathons this year and a fine performance in Hong Kong earned him a last minute slot in the SEA Games, checked in second to an Indonesian while fancied Eduardo Buenavista made it a silver-bronze finish for the Philippines by finishing third.

The extreme heat that turned the 8km loop into a virtual desert exacted its toll on Buenavista, more used to high-altitude, cool climate training in Baguio, as he nearly collapsed and was on the verge of passing out right after crossing the finish line before fellow members of the athletics team came to his aid.

It took the immediate assistance of team managers Maricor Pacheco and Lucy Torres, long jumper Maristella Torres, Rosie Villarito and members and coaches of athletics team to prevent him from collapsing to the ground.

Medics said the cramps could spread all over his body and even to internal organs, prompting them to rush Buenavista to a nearby hospital.

His place in the podium was taken by middle distance runner Julius Sarmona.

Jo-Ann Banayag also collapsed in the finish line of the women’s marathon won by another Indonesian. The long-time long distance runner, who placed fourth in the race, was back to normal after getting rehydration liquid.

The race was run on an 8km loop, on the Haji Bastawri road fronting the national stadium, which the runners negotiated five times before taking the last 2.1km to the finish line.

The race, which started at 5:30 a.m., rose several degrees by 7:30 a.m. as the clouds parted.