John Cabang completed his redemption arc with a gold medal in the men’s 110-meter hurdles on Day 2 of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games athletics competitions on Friday at the Supachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Basque Country-born hurdler had been forced to withdraw from the repechage round of the same event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he made amends with his first-ever SEA Games title.
Cabang crossed the finish line in 13.66 seconds, setting a new Games record and shaving three milliseconds off the decade-old mark set by Thailand’s Jamras Rittidet in Singapore.
(C) POC Media
“It has been a tough year, as I missed several competitions, including the Asian Championships and even the National Championships. But after that, I took a few steps, focused, and stepped up for these SEA Games. I think I’m ready for the Asian Games now,” said the 24-year-old Fil-Spaniard.
Singapore’s Chen Xiang Ang claimed silver with 13.75 seconds, while Malaysia’s Mohamad Armin Zahryl Abdul Latif rounded out the podium in 13.85 seconds.
“It was actually difficult because December is the indoor season in athletics. I’ve been training long-distance for this, but now I feel strong and ready for whatever comes next,” Cabang added.
Clinton Kingsley Bautista, a former UAAP MVP from Far Eastern University, finished fifth with a time of 14.39 seconds.
