Guilliver Clemente lands 4th gold in Batang Pinoy

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Guilliver Clive Clemente of Antique delivered a fourth gold as promised as he topped the boys’ 200m breaststroke for 15-and-under boys yesterday even as four other archers barged into the elite quadruple gold medal club in the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy at the Iloilo Sports Complex here.

Winner of three golds in the 400m individual medley, 50m breaststroke and 200m IM in the first two days, the 14-year-old Clemente didn’t let up. He added another mint with relative ease as he clocked two minutes, 47.56 seconds and finished way ahead of closest pursuer Victoriano Martin Tirol of Tagbilaran (2:52.97).

Clemente, a San Jose native and Grade 8 student at Antique National School, will go for his target of five golds in today’s 100m IM.

He later said his motivation comes from his two elder brothers Guillermo and Guilfer.

Guillermo, 21, a San Beda graduate,  is the NCAA record-holder in the 50m and 100m breaststroke while Guilfer, 19, is a former Palarong Pambansa gold medalist.

“I’m into the sport because of them (Guillermo and Guilfer). They’re my motivation,” said Clemente in Filipino.

Dumaguete’s Naina Dominique Tagle and Prisa Heren Lofranco, Cebu City’s Aldrener Igot, Jr. and Mandaue’s Godwell Maloloy-on joined Clemente by raking in four golds each in archery.

All four swept the 30m, 40m, 50m and 60m in their respective divisions – cub and cadet – and are on course for a maximum seven golds if they topped the mixed team at press time and the team and Olympic round today.

Also making a big wave at the pool were Negros Occidental’s Alexi Kouzenye Cabayaran (girls’ 13-15 100m backstroke), Tagbilaran’s Anthony Jude Presas (boys’ 15-U 400m freestyle) and Coby Marcus Rivilla of Ormoc (12-U 100m back).

Marden Gabriel Villaruel of Negros Occidental snared the boys’ 200m gold in 23.6 to complete a golden sprint double after he also captured the 100m gold two days back in athletics.

Brineth Cupan, another Negros Occidental bet, played the spoiler’s role as she averted a potential third gold for either Krisha Aguilon or Aubrey Mae Mercado both of Bacolod City by zooming to the 200m gold in 26.8.