Cyclist Espiritu snatches 23rd gold medal for RP at SEA Games

Victor Espiritu snagged the second cycling gold medal on Monday for the Philippines at the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games being held in Thailand, according to results posted at the SEA Games official website. Espiritu earned the victory in the men's points race of track cycling, which was held at His Majesty The King's 80th Annivesary Stadium in Nakhon Ratchasima. The first cycling gold was snatched by Joey Barba in the men's downhill mountain bike run last Thursday (December 6). That was the very first gold any Filipino athlete earned in this year's SEA Games. Espiritu's gold puts the total cycling medals of the Philippines at seven so far, the sixth – a bronze – having been earned earlier in the day by Jan Paul Morales. Morales could only muster third place finish behind a pair of Australian-trained Malaysian riders in track cycling's men's 1-kilometer race. Morales clocked one minute and 7.244 seconds on the 333.33-kilometer brand new concrete track, a time that beat his personal best by almost two seconds, according to a statement issued by the Philippine Cycling Federation (PhilCycling). Mohammad Rizal Tisin, who wasn't at the Doha Asian Games in 2006 but was in Australia for intensive training, was timed an amazing 1:05.980 for the gold medal. His compatriot, Mohammad Azizulhasni, booked 1:06.645 for the silver medal. Bert Lina, PhilCycling president, who was with wife Sylvia, watched the race and cheered the nationals. "Not bad," Lina said of the performance that kicked off the track hostilities of the 24th Southeast Asian Games. The 1-kilometer race and the women's 500-meter race are not actually the Filipino riders' forte, but the Malaysians. Also in the men's 1-kilometer, Filipino-American Steve Pelaez warmed his legs and finished fifth in 1:08.670. Apryl Eppinger, the Filipina-Australian on the team, was fifth in the 500-meter (39.322) topped by Indonesian strongwoman Uyun Muzizah (36.453), Thai Jutatip Maneephan (36.492), and Malaysian Fatehah Mustapa (37.185). - GMANews.TV