BAGUIO City is slowly inching its way to the top of the medal standings with the wushu - taulo showing the way after harvesting 10 gold, five silvers and two bronze medals in the ongoing Batang Pinoy 2019 National Finals.
Former Asian Jr. Wushu campaigner Aleca Breana Dumseng led the charge after bagging two gold medals together with Alyna Jo Lomibao, Andrei Roy Albert, and Hans Lubguban in the weeklong event being held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Dumseng snatched gold in the female 1st set chang quan and 1st set jian shu while Lomibao bagged the mint in the 1st set nan quan and 1st set nandao.
Albert, meanwhile, topped the male 1st set 1st set chang quan and 1st set dao shu with Lubguban winning in the 24 steps tanji quan and 32 steps tani jian.
Also bagging gold medals are Verah Janea Dulay (female 24 steps tani quan) and Carla Stephanie Tilap (female 32 step tani jian).
Tankers Mark Bryan Dula of Paranaque, Aubrey Tom of Cainta and John Alexander Talosig of Cotabato and archer Aldrener Igot, Jr. of Cebu City came out victorious to emerge the first quintuple gold medal winners in the competition spearheaded by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Talosig, 15, joined gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo in the elite five-gold club after he ruled the boys’ 400m freestyle in four minutes and 20.03 seconds before Dula, 12, joined him a few minutes later after he topped the 100-meter backstroke in 1:8.11 seconds.
Tom, 12, then barged into that exclusive group by reigning supreme in the 50m freestyle in 28.93 seconds in this weeklong meet backed by Milo.
Igot, 14, for his part, struck in archery where he copped the 40m, 50m and FITA golds to add to the two he already snared in the 20m and 30m the day before.
Unlike Yulo and the swimmers, the eighth-grader from Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial National High School will have a chance to win more, possibly a maximum of eight, as he is scheduled to compete in the Olympic round, mixed and boys’ team in the coming days.
Talosig’s other mints came in the 400m individual medley and 1500m free Monday and 400m IM and 200m free Tuesday while Dula sourced his other golds from the 50m back and 100m butterfly on Day One and the 50m fly and 200m back the next day.
Tom was the first to make a big ripple and win four golds following her triumphs in the 100m free, 50m back and 200m IM the first day and 50m fly the next.
Talosig’s younger sister, 13-year-old Jie Angela Mikaela, made a name for herself at the pool after she collected her third gold in the 400m free for girls’ 15-under by clocking 4:42.89.
Naina Dominique Tagle of Dumaguete also made some noise in archery after she hauled golds in the 40m, 50m and fita to hike her total to four.
Tagle’s earlier win came in the 20m but was denied another one by eventual winner Sophie Kyran Manuel of Makati in the 30m and wound up with a silver.