Young guns Hussein Loraña, Naomi Cesar sweep 800m golds in SEA Games athletics
CHONBURI, Thailand – It may have been just their first Southeast Asian Games stint, but Hussein Loraña and Naomi Cesar have already left their mark.
The two young guns raised the Philippines’ golden tally in athletics to four after sweeping the 800m events at the Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok on Monday, December 15.
Loraña, 21, topped the men’s 800m with a time of 1:48.80, denying 2021 champion Joshua Atkinson a return to the top of the podium as the Thai settled for silver with 1:49.24.
Malaysia’s Wan Muhammad Fazri Wan Zahari bagged bronze with 1:49.85.
“I’m really happy. I can’t explain how happy I am,” said Loraña, who became the first Filipino to win the event since John Lozada reigned in 2001.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Cesar came away with a surprise victory in the women’s 800m, an event that had long been dominated by Vietnam, as she clocked 2:10.2 in a photo finish that saw her dethrone defending champion Nguyen Thi Thu Ha.
Nguyen settled for silver with 2:10.3, with Vietnam missing out on the gold in the race for the first time after victories in the last 13 editions.
The Philippines secured two podium spots as Bernalyn Bejoy got bronze with 2:10.6.
“It feels amazing. I’m so honored and I’m always so proud to represent the country. To win gold is a dream come true,” said Cesar, who once again brought honor to the Philippines just less than two months after taking home silver in the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in October.
Thanks to Loraña and Cesar, the Philippines has already matched its four-gold athletics haul in the 2023 SEA Games as John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 110m hurdles) and Hokett delos Santos (men’s decathlon) also won. – Rappler.com
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