Hussein Loraña came agonizingly close to rewriting the Philippine record in the men’s 800-meter run while KG Mercuries pulled off a surprise victory in the men’s 4×100-meter relay during Saturday night’s action at the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium.

The 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games gold medalist delivered one of the standout performances of the competition after clocking one minute and 48.39 seconds to capture the men’s 800-meter crown. Loraña surged past Oyam Kent Espinosa in the final 100 meters to secure victory and claim his third title in the event at the country’s premier track and field meet.

His winning time fell just 0.87 seconds short of the national record of 1:47.52 established by Fil-Am runner Carter Lilly on April 19, 2019, at the Bryan Clay International in Azusa, California. Despite narrowly missing the mark, Loraña expressed confidence that a record-breaking run could be within reach in the near future.

The meet was co-presented by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and New Clark City, with athletes from across the country competing for national honors and international qualification opportunities.

Loraña Eyes Bigger Goals

Loraña’s impressive run further strengthened his status as one of the country’s premier middle-distance runners. The former UAAP Season 86 Most Valuable Player executed a patient race before unleashing a powerful finishing kick to overtake Espinosa down the stretch.

The victory added another gold medal to his growing collection and provided a significant boost ahead of upcoming international competitions. Loraña revealed that he is targeting an even faster performance when he competes in the inaugural Asian Under-23 Championships in Ordos, China, from July 9 to 12.

“Although sa tingin ko kaya ko naman na ma-break yung record, sa tamang panahon pa iyon,” Loraña said after the race.

“I am hoping to break it sa Asian Under-23 Championships in Ordos, China next month,” he added.

Another athlete who delivered a breakthrough performance was Fil-Am thrower Sydney Joshua Yap. Competing under a new coach, Yap registered a personal-best throw of 50.65 meters to secure his first hammer throw gold medal after settling for silver in last year’s edition of the championships.

Janry Ubas also enjoyed a successful outing as he completed a golden double in the decathlon. Benefiting from rival John Celestino Romero’s failure to score in the pole vault, Ubas accumulated 6,440 points to claim the title in the demanding 10-event competition.

Relay Upset Highlights Night

One of the biggest surprises of the evening came in the men’s 4×100-meter relay, where KG Mercuries outran the heavily favored national team to capture gold.

Former national sprinter and two-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Anfernee Lopena provided a strong opening leg before handing off to Vicjardi Tapia and Ralph Anthony Lego. PRISAA standout Kent Paul Burdan then anchored the squad to victory in 40.56 seconds.

The margin of victory was razor-thin, with Pinoy Athletics taking silver in 40.57 seconds while the national team settled for bronze in 40.70 seconds.

Lopena said confidence within the squad played a major role in the upset victory.

“Ang sabi ko sa mga kakampi ko na hindi kami underdog at malakas kami dahil nasa amin ang PRISAA triple gold medalist at NCAA best freshman,” Lopena said.

“We knew we could win this race.”

The national women’s relay team, however, suffered disappointment after being disqualified because of a faulty baton exchange between Kristina Knott and Jessica Laurance. Malaysia claimed the gold medal in 45.63 seconds, while University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University finished second and third, respectively.

Early Sunday morning, marathon standouts Sonny Wagdos and Artjoy Torregosa added more hardware to their collections by winning the men’s and women’s 10,000-meter races. Wagdos clocked 31:10.64 for his second medal of the championships, while Torregosa completed a distance-running double after adding the 10,000-meter title to her earlier 5,000-meter triumph.