ERNIE Agat Gawilan of Davao City booked a seat to the 2016 Rio Paralympics after he struck for a gold medal and beating the Games record in men's 400-meter freestyle S8 event of the 8th Asean Para Games swimming debut at the OCBC Aquatic Center in Singapore over the weekend.
This came on the heels of his winning a silver in men's 100m freestyle last Friday.
Gawilan, a Asian Para Games triple bronze medalist, registered a time of four minutes and 48.49 seconds, smashing his personal best of 5:03.09.
The 24-year-old Dabawenyo bested Singaporean tanker Toh Wei Soong who checked in a 5:08.80 and Vietnamese Dang Van Cong who clocked 5:09.97.
"Salamat Lord for the first time nakapasok din time koparasa Paralympic. Matagalkorin tong pinaghirapan at pinagtiisan. Nag qualify din sawakas," Gawilan posted on his Facebook Sunday.
He praised the people behind their training including coachesRal Rosario and Tony Ong as well as his Davao City coaches Jude Corpuz and Johanes Corpuz for motivating him and his teammates.
Gawilan also said, "Dahil sa inyo gumanda po mga performance namin."
He also thanked those who believed in him including the Philippine sports Commission and Philippine Sports Association Of Different-Abled Athletes and their sponsors.
Gawilan will next see action in the men's 200 individual medley today, December 8.