Icebreaker from OCR racers

2 golds ahead of opening rites

PHNOM PENH – Two world obstacle records and a pair of guaranteed gold and silver medals.

The high-caliber obstacle race aces delivered a for-the-books performance in the OCR 100m qualifying rounds, ensuring early success for a slow-grinding Team Philippines in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here.

Pumping life into campaign two days before the glitzy opening, men’s stalwarts Mark Rodelas and Kevin Pascua arranged an all-Filipino duel for the mint after placing 1-2 in yesterday’s heats at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center.

This mirrored the Pinay-only golden contest set up by Precious Cabuya and Kaizen dela Serna over in the distaff side.

The precious mints from OCR will be formally claimed by the 840-strong delegation supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee in Saturday’s final rounds.

What made this feat even greater was the fact that Rodelas and Cabuya shattered the global marks and pending confirmation, the Guinness World Record, while Pascua and Dela Serna gained new personal bests.

Rodelas’ roaring 25.0921 bettered the 26.42 world record he himself set as Pascua, the 2019 SEAG kingpin, improved to 26.1896.

Cabuya ripped Dela Serna’s old world standard of 35.42 with a 33.1278 sizzler. But the latter reset her best clocking to 34.8634.

With a lock on the individual golds, the women’s team crew of Milky Mae Tejares, Mecca Cortizano, Sandi Abahan and Tess Nocyao and the men’s squad of Ahgie Radan, Elias Tabac, Mervin Guarte and Jay-R de Castro look to duplicate the success in the team relay that starts today.

The OCR stalwarts are on track for a sweep of the four golds in the sport’s SEAG comeback. They brought out the broom previously in 2019 at home, winning all six.

“Our athletes have trained hard for today. They went through a lot of obstacles to reach where they are today,” said Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF) president Atty. Al Agra. “Sana tuloy tuloy na.”

Obstacle race’s triumph came after the women’s doubles 60-minute entries in ouk chaktrang chess and women’s T10 in cricket secured virtual silvers with a game to spare in other fronts.