Jerrold Mangliwan. | Photo from Mangliwan’s FB account
CEBU CITY, Philippines — It’s not over yet for wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan after his disqualification from the 400-meter T52 race on Friday evening in the World Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Mangliwan was disqualified from the 400m T52 race due to “lane infringement” along with USA’s Isaiah Rigo on Friday evening at the Japan National Stadium.
Mangliwan, however, still has a very good chance to win a medal as he is set to compete in the finals of the men’s 1,500m T52 race on Sunday, at 8:42 p.m. (7:42 PM Manila Time).
He will be in lane four and will vie against six other finalists.
If not for the disqualification, Mangliwan would have finished fifth overall in a new national record of 1 minute and .80 seconds, according to his coach, Joel Deriada, who had talked to the athlete shortly after the dismal outcome was announced.
“Hindi alam ni Jerrold na na-DQ siya kasi umalis na siya kaagad pagkatapos niyang makita yong time at pumunta sa dining hall ng makausap ko,” Deriada said in a press release from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
“Tinanong ko kung alam niya na pumasok siya sa lane ng kalaban, ang sagot niya ‘hindi na coach kasi tinodo-todo ko na at nakapikit na ko nang malapit sa finish line.”
Since the athlete’s right arm is stronger than the left, the coach rued that the front wheel of Mangliwan’s wheelchair might have accidentally encroached on the Austrian racer’s lane in his all-out effort to cross the finish line ahead.
“Baka nga kumaliwa at pumasok sa lane sa lakas ng hataw ng kanang kamay niya (Mangliwan),” said Deriada, who has been keeping close tabs on the athletes participation in the Tokyo Paralympics.
“Mangliwan is a fighter and got over it right away. He is looking forward to racing on Sunday,” Deriada added.
Aside from Mangliwan, swimmer Ernie Gawilan will be seen in action on Sunday too.
Gawilan will vie in the second heat of the men’s 400-meter freestyle-S7 race at 9:07 a.m. (8:07 a.m), with the top eight qualifiers entering the finals at 5 p.m. ( 4 PM Manila Time).
Swimming coach Tony Ong said that Gawilan was buoyed by his performance last Friday in setting a new PH record in the 400-meter individual medley of 2:50.49, although he missed the finals. He surpassed his previous mark of 2:52.00 in ruling the event in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“Honestly, I was happy with his (Gawilan’s) 200 IM time considering the short time of our preparations (for Tokyo) because of the COVID-19 pandemic and ECQ. That was nearly two seconds off his Asian Para Games record. That’s very good,” Ong said.
Gawilan has been dominant in his pet event on the Southeast Asian and Asian levels, winning golds back-to-back in the 2015 Singapore and 2017 Malaysia editions of the ASEAN Para Games. /rcg