Breakthrough SEAG gold medal is fuel for Janry Ubas

PHNOM PENH — It was eight long years in the making but Janry Ubas is glad his first Southeast Asian Games gold medal has finally found its way to him.

The 29-year-old Filipino track and field ace has been representing the Philippines since the 2015 Singapore SEA Games in events such as the decathlon, heptathlon, and long jump. He also bannered the country in SEAG editions in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

But in a span of eight years, the gold medal proved elusive for the Misamis Oriental native.

On Tuesday, though, that personal drought was finally quenched as Ubas ruled the men's long jump event in the 2023 SEA Games here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia after leaping past 7.85 meters.

Ubas shared that his inability to cop the gold medal in the past almost made him quit the sport, but after finally breaking through Ubas said he is not about to stop.

"Dati iniisip ko na parang ayoko na, pero ngayon nagbago na, parang gusto ko na ulit mag-training araw-araw," Ubas said.

("I was thinking before that I didn't want to keep doing it, but now that things have changed, I feel like I want to train again every day.")

Ubas had come close to gold in his past participation, copping bronze in Singapore in 2015 before settling for silver in 2019 and 2021. But as he got another shot at gold in Cambodia, Ubas said he just made sure he would give it his best jump.

"Sinecure ko lang 'yung first jump ko na kailangan mataas 'yung talon ko kaagad kasi crucial siya sa isang event ko, 'yung decathlon," Ubas said.

"Kinuha ko na agad 'yung best ko sa first jump, 'yung pang-gold na talaga."

("I just secured my first jump that it needed to be high right away because it's crucial in my other event, the decathlon... So I did my best in the first jump, it was really for the gold.")

—JMB, GMA Integrated News