It took Team Philippines three days to pocket its first gold in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
The controversial Mary Joy Tabal ended the longing with a rousing performance in the women’s marathon, early morning at the Palace of Justice in Kuala Lumpur.
The Olympian started strong, broke from the eight-woman field early, and never looked back. Her closest pursuer, Vietnamese Hoang Thi Than, was five minutes behind by the last lap.
Tabal was in a precarious situation leading up to the Games after being dropped from the national team. However, with some talks with PATAFA, the 2015 Games silver medalist was reinstated into the squad.
The country now has one gold, one silver, and two bronzes.
