CEBU CITY -- A Cagayan de Oro swimmer missed the gold and the first medal for the city after being disqualified in the first day of action of the Philippine National Games 2018 on Sunday at the Abellana Sports Complex poolside.
Jose Marie Nave, a resident of Macasandig, clocked first with 57 seconds in the 100-meter men’s freestyle and was a second ahead of his closest rival from Koronadal City.
But the 17-year-old Nave was greeted with a horror after reaching the finishing block for he was called for "false start."
Swim officials adjudicated that he moved his body before the buzzer set for go.
Eduard Maut, Nave’s coach, said it was not Nave’s intention to move pointing to gravity that was pulling him down.
Maut said Nave was not used to a flat starting block, but a slant one.
“Naanad man gud sila nga slanting ang starting block ug nabag-ohan sa flat,” Maut said.
Nave asserted that the starting block was pulling him down when he bent for the starting position.
“Definitely wala siya nagminarama. The gravity was pulling him to the waters,” Maut said.
But Nave took it a challenge and a lesson to learn as he prepares for four individual events left to compete in 50-meter and 200-meter men’s freestyle, and 200-meter and 100-meter men’s backstroke.
“Sayang but I am still proud of him nga gipakita ni Nave nga aduna siya’y potential and that’s enough sa akoa,” later said city sports coordinator Jaymar Rivera.
Over at University of San Carlos main campus, the Oro men’s volleyball won its first match against Valencia City, 25-18, 25-20, 21-25, 25-20.
In athletics, Erwin Mancao will try to snatch a medal for Cagayan de Oro as he sets himself in the 5000 meter men’s run as of this writing.
Two other runners Daryl Llaban and Cindy Panen will also fight for medals in their respective 800-meter finals this morning.
Misamis Oriental’s lone runner Elbrin Nero, a pride of Alubijid, qualified in the 800 meter run men’s final. (Jaime A. Frias II)