Pangasinan runner leads double gold winners

MANILA, Philippines - Pangasinan’s Ludovico de la Cruz topped the 400m run then dominated the 110m hurdles to become the first double gold medal winner in athletics while four others matched that feat in swimming in Day 2 of the Batang Pinoy Luzon leg at the Zambales Sports Complex in Iba, Zambales yesterday.

De la Cruz, who trained long and hard for this event serving as the elims for the national finals, clocked 53.7 seconds to win the 400m then turned in a 15.3-second clocking to cap his twin gold feat.

“I trained for four months because I really wanted to win here,” said De la Cruz, who also won the 110m hurdles in the national finals in Iloilo City last year.

He goes for No. 3 in the 4x400 meter relay.

In swimming, Maurice Sacho Ilustre, Mark Aubrey Santos, Kirsten Chloe Daos and Anna Althea Articona all won their second golds with Ilustre, competing out of University of the East and winner of five golds in the UAAP and two gold medals in the last Palarong Pambansa in Dumaguete City, dominated the 200m fly in 2:20.02 seconds after taking the 400m gold of the same event.

Santos topped the 100m free in 1:04.07 seconds, Daos booked her second win in 200m fly in 2:27.75 seconds, and Articona added the 200m medley relay gold with teammates Nicole Meah Pamintuan, Josefa Sophia Agoncillo and Djulia Patricia Brion in 2:20.36.