ILAGAN, Isabela – Inangkin ni Richard Salano ang ikalawang ginto sa 10,000m men upang maging unang double gold winner sa National Open Invitational Athletics na nilaro sa Ilagan Sports and Cultural Center.
Inspirado sa kanyang silver finish sa China noong nakaraang linggo at pagiging gold medalist sa Phuett (Thailand) international marathon, tinalo ng 26-anyos na Bulakenyo at 3- time Cebu International marathon champion ang kanyang mga katunggali sa bilis na 32 minuto at 30.67 segundo.
Unang inangkin ni Salano, 2014 UAAP MVP at 2008 UAAP Rookie of the Year, ang ginto sa 3000m makaraang gapiin si two-time SEA Games veteran Christopher Ulboc.
“Pinaghandaan ko ito dahil gusto kong manalo. Masaya ko sa kinalabasan,” sabi ni Salano, graduate ng Information Technology sa University of the East.
Dahil sa husay ni Salano sa long distance running, sinabi ni PATAFA secretary-general Renatoi Unso na irekomenda niya si Salano sa national training pool.
“I am recommending him to the national training pool because of his innate skill in long distance running,” sabi ni Unso.
Samantala, matinding paghihinagpis ang dinanas nina Brazil Olympian at reigning National Athletics middle distance champion Texas-based Filipino-American Eric Shawn Cray, California-based Trenten Beram, Anfernee Lopena at Clinton Bautista na na-disqualify sa 4x100m relay men.
Na-disqualify ang koponan matapos na hindi malaglag ang baton ni Cray galing kay first runner Anfernee Lopena at ibinigay ang ginto sa Adamson University team nina Jeric Gaceta, Christian Olivares, Elias Ruther Cuevas at Alex Talledo na naorasan ng 43.42.
Pumangalawa ang UP team nina Sean Michael Kaufman, Leonel Tigtig, Mark Harry Diones at Aristeo de la Pena sa oras na 43.94.
“They’re running in the relay for the first time. They don’t have practice. It is normal. It happened in the US relay team in Olympic Games. It’s good, it happened here not in the Asian Games,” sabi ni American coach Rohsean Griffin.
Ayon kay Griffin, sumabak si Cray sa dalawang kompetisyon sa Amerika at tatlo sa Japan bago pumunta sa Pinas para sa National Open invitational Athletics. LYDE MARIANO
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