Western Visayas and the National Capital Region (NCR) each won four gold medals in swimming to maintain their lead in the medal tally in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa at the Marikina Sports Center on Thursday.
Region 6 won the secondary boys' 50m backstroke and freestyle with Jennuel Booh De Leon and also won the elementary girls' 100m freestyle with Anika Kathr Matiling and the elementary girls' 400m medley relay with Savannah Secuelan, Chelsea Marie Billanes, Coraline Montalbo, and Matiling.
Secondary girls' 400m medley relay (Clara Yzabelle Delos Santos, Sinagtala Cuevas, Iliazel Fel Dollente, and Sy); elementary 50m backstroke (Claine Briana Lim); and secondary boys' 400m medley relay (Ivo Nikolai Enot, Jalil Sephraim Taguinod, Ivan Nicolas Radovan, and Hugh Antonio Parto).
Paolo Miguel Labanon won two gold medals for Region 11 in the secondary boys' 200-meter butterfly and 1500-meter freestyle events.
Other gold medalists included Jie Angela Mikaela Talosig of Region 12 (secondary girls' 1500m freestyle), Quendy Fernandez of Region 4B (secondary girls' 50m backstroke), Reichard Neilson Navo of Region 4A (elementary boys' 50m backstroke), Kacie Gabrielle Tionko of Region 7 (secondary girls' 100m freestyle), and Gabriel Pablo Carlos of Region 1 (elementary boys' 400m medley relay).
As of 8:30 p.m., Region 6 had collected 33 gold, 23 silver, and 18 gold medals to maintain its lead in the Department of Education competition.
NCR comes in second with 24 golds, including three from Krystal Ava David, 27 silvers, and 23 bronzes. David achieved a new Palaro record in the 100-meter breaststroke on Tuesday with a time of 1:17.98, breaking the previous mark of 1:19.35 set by NCR's Raissa Gavino in 2018.
David, coached by Doll Disini-De Guzman of Colegio San Agustin Makati and the Golden Sea Eagles Swim Team, won the 50-meter breaststroke in 36.51 seconds, breaking Gavino's previous record of 36.63 seconds.
She also took first place in the 200-meter individual medley (2:37.32).
Region 4A is at No. 3 with 22 golds, 30 silvers, and 23 followed by Region 11 (13-2-9), Region 10 (11-8-14), Region 3 (11-13-20), Region 12 (9-11-12), CAR (9-9-4), Region 7 (9-7-14), Region 1 (6-8-8), Region 4B (4-3-9), Region 2 (2-5-8), Region 8 (2-5-6), Region 9 (1-3-0), CARAGA (0-1-3), and BARM (0-0-1).
