MANILA – Filipino swimmer Angel Mae Otom narrowly missed a medal at the Paris Paralympics, finishing fifth in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5 final on Friday afternoon (Saturday morning in Manila).

In her Paralympic debut, the 21-year-old Olongapo City native clocked a personal best time of 45.78 seconds. The gold medal went to China’s Lu Dong, who set a new Paralympic record with a time of 38.17 seconds, surpassing her own Tokyo record of 39.54 seconds and the previous world record of 39.32 seconds held by compatriot He Shenggao. He won silver with a time of 38.98 seconds, while Turkey’s Sevilay Ozturk took bronze with 43.70 seconds. Chinese swimmer Cheng Jiao finished fourth with 45.60 seconds.

Para-swimming team head coach Tony Ong praised Otom’s performance, stating, “She fought hard and showed great determination. There will be future opportunities, and she will be better prepared next time.”

Otom, who had won the same event at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games, reached the finals after securing third place in her heat with a time of 46.85 seconds. She was ranked fifth overall.

Earlier this week, Otom also competed in the 50m backstroke, where she placed sixth with a time of 44.00 seconds. “This was her first Paralympic experience, and making it to the finals is an accomplishment. I’m confident she will excel in future events. Mabuhay ang Atletang Pilipino! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas,” Ong added.

In other news, Cendy Asusano is set to compete in the women’s javelin throw F54 event at the Stade de France on Saturday. The finals are scheduled for 10:04 a.m. (4:04 p.m. Manila time).

“Asusano expressed a mix of nerves and excitement, aiming to give her best performance. A double-gold medalist at the ASEAN Para Games, she qualified for Paris with a throw of 14.23 meters at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. She also placed fourth at the World Para Championships in Kobe, Japan, in May, improving her personal best to 14.63 meters.

“If I surpass my previous personal best and reach 15 meters, I will be thrilled,” Asusano said.

ia/mnm

PARIS – Thanks to her outstanding debut in the 17th Paris Paralympic Games, national para swimmer was the unanimous choice to be the country’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the quadrennial global showcase for physically-challenged athletes on Sunday at the Stade de France.

Otom, 21, capped her superb campaign in the stint supported by the Philippine Sports Commission with her second straight finals appearance last Friday at the La Defense Arena pool, finishing fifth in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5 event in a personal best time of 45.78 seconds.

She lopped off nearly two seconds over her previous PB of 47.52 set in the world para swimming championships last year in Manchester, England, becoming the first Filipino para swimmer to enter the finals in both her events, and in only her initial outing in the meet, to boot. 

The pride of Olongapo City made her maiden outing at the Games in memorable style last Tuesday, reaching the finals and finishing sixth in the women’s 50-meter backstroke S5 event  in sixth place in a time of 44 seconds flat.

“The fact that Angel made two finals in both of her events in her Paralympic Games debut at that is truly remarkable and bodes well for future appearances for the country in international competition,” noted PH Paralympic chef de mission Ral Rosario.

“She (Otom) has earned the honor of being the flag-bearer at the closing ceremony. And the decision among the team members and coaches was unanimous.”

 “I’m grateful po na maging part sa Games na ito at maging flag-bearer pa po sa closing. Isa po itong karangalan  at pride po para na din sa akin dahil ako po ang magwawagayway ng watawat ng ating bansa!” exclaimed the athlete with excitement at the honor. Less formal than the opening rites, Paris hosts intend to turn the closing program at the 80,000-capacity arena into a huge dance floor starting at 8:30 p.m (2:30 a.m. Manila time), according to the French daily Le Monde.

“The Paris Paralympic Games closing ceremony is due to ‘finish with a huge party,’ featuring 24 top French DJs, including Cassius, Kavinsky, Agoria, and electronic music legend Jean-Michel Jarre,” the paper reported on its website. 

“The musical segment will start with Jean-Michel Jarre, the man who currently holds the record for uniting the most people ever at a single concert. In 1997, he played in front of 3.5 million people in Moscow (a feat certified by the Guinness Book of Records),” it added. 

“Starting at 8:30 p.m., the 4,400 Paralympic athletes who have thrilled fans for eleven days will parade through the Stade de France.

This great moment for the 168 delegations will be followed by a highly symbolic gesture: the handover from Paris to Los Angeles, the next city to host the Paralympic Games in 2028,” a separate report said.

PARIS—Angel Mae Otom placed third in her qualifying heat, propelling herself to the final of the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5 at the 17th Paralympic Games here.

Otom reached the wall in 46.85 seconds and made it to the late afternoon (12 midnight in Manila) medal race fifth overall.

Lu Dong, the gold medalist in their 50m backstroke encounter the other day, topped the heats in 40.50 followed by silver medalist He Shenggao (43.11) and Sevilay Ozturk of Turkey (44.70).

“Pinag-aralan ko mabuti ang dapat gawin sa swim na ito. Lalo ko pang pagbubutihin sa final,’’ said the 21-year-old Otom, the reigning Asean Para Games champion in the same event.

Philippine sports officials witnessed Otom’s qualification race led by Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann, commissioner Fritz Gaston, executive director Paolo Tatad as well as Philippine Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo, PPC secretary general Goody Custodio and chef de mission Ral Rosario.

“Angel had a better swim compared to her previous event. Talagang tinutukan sya ni coach Tony (Ong) for this swim,’’ said para swimming deputy coach Bryan Ong.

PARIS — Angel Mae Otom slowed down approaching the wall and missed out on a medal here in the 17th Paralympic Games.

Otom vowed to do better in her next race.

“Sayang, medyo bad swim. Pumangit ang langoy ko sa last 15 (meters),’’ said the 21-year-old national para swimming ace after completing the women’s 50-meter backstroke S5 final at sixth place.

World record holder Lu Dong easily claimed the gold in 37.51 seconds, spearheading a podium sweep for the Chinese along with silver performer He Shenggao (39.93) and Liu Yu, who snatched the bronze medal in 42.37.

The reigning champion in the same event at the Asean Para Games was almost locked in at third and seemed headed toward the podium after exploding off the blocks.

But Liu came speeding from behind in the last 10 meters, towing Turkey’s Sumeyye Boyaci (43.30) and Great Britain’s Tully Kearney (43.40), both of them throwing themselves to the finish.

The armless Otom arrived just a split second later in 44 seconds, her head in contact with the wall to register the clocking.

“Marami pa kaming areas na kailangang i-work out. We need to improve on the finish. Comfortable naman siya sa training pero she has to do it with consistency na tuloy-tuloy,’’ said national para swimming assistant coach Bryan Ong.

Otom, a third-year student from the UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics, is prepping up for her final event come Friday in the 50m butterfly S5, where she promised to go all out this time.

“I have to perform better. Kailangan physically and mentally prepared ako sa laban na iyan,’’ said the 21-year-old Otom, who won four gold medals in last year’s Asean Para Games in Cambodia.

Angel Mae Otom during the Heat 2 of Women’s 50m Backstroke S5 of the 17th Paralympic Games in Paris. PHOTO COURTESY OF PSC

PARIS — Para swimmer Angel Mae Otom qualified to the final of the women’s 50-meter backstroke event on Tuesday in the 17th Paralympic Games.

In her first Paralympics, the quadruple gold medalist in the Asean Para Games made her presence felt on the world stage, clocking 44.03 seconds in the first of two heats to secure a spot in the medal race early Wednesday morning (12:34 a.m. Manila time).

“Sobrang ganda ng experience ko at nakaka-proud talaga. Kinakabahan din ako as an athlete pero overall masaya,’’ said Otom.

World record-holder Lu Dong topped the qualifying heats in 39.48 seconds followed by fellow Chinese He Shenggao (41.31) and Liu Yu (42.59).

“She’ll definitely go all out in the final. It’s six hours from now, so for now magpapahinga muna Angel as we mentally prepare her for the next race,’’ said national para swimming assistant coach Bryan Ong.

He and Liu led Otom’s heat while Sumeyye Boyaci of Turkey likewise advanced.

The armless Otom is considered a top medal prospect among the Filipino para athletes in these Games with the team backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

PARIS –  Para swimmer Angel Mae Otom is primed and ready in what promises to be a highly exciting race in the women’s 50-meter backstroke S5 event of the 17th Paralympic Games swimming competitions at the La Defense Arena pool here Tuesday.

“Angel is doing good. Happy ako sa kanyang progress,” noted national para swimming coach Tony Ong on the eve of the tanker’s debut in the sportsfest for physically-challenged athletes.

“Nag-long swim na si Angel ng 3,000-meter easy swim para bumalik na yung long and lean muscles niya,” added Ong, which was why she and Ernie Gawilan decided to skip the national Paralympic team’s courtesy call at the Philippine embassy over the weekend.

A third-year irregular student at the UP-Diliman College of Human Kinetics, the armless Otom is considered a top medal among the

six para athletes vying in the Paralympic Games supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

She is ranked No. 5 in the women’s 50-meter backstroke in the Para Swimming world rankings and is tipped to make it to the finals from the first heat scheduled at 10:26 am. (4:26 p.m. Manila time).

The Olongapo City native will be racing in the first heat in lane 5, sandwiched between Chinese He Shenggao, the world No. 2, and Liu Yu.

Reigning Paralympic champion Lu Dong, who holds the world and Paralympic record of 37.18 seconds in ruling the event in the Tokyo edition in 2021, is the obvious favorite in the second, with the top eight qualifiers advancing to the finals at 6:34 p.m. (12:34 a.m. Wednesday in Manila).   

With legs built like tree trunks, Otom has a personal best of 44.72 seconds and is eager to surpass that time to achieve a podium finish and end the country’s eight-year medal drought at the Games.

The last one to do it was the late table tennis player Josephine Medina, who won a bronze in the 2016 edition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Highly competitive beneath her bubbly personality, Otom disclosed in a recent interview that she won’t settle for second best.

“Go for gold talaga. Kung mangarap ka ba’t hindi na rin gold?” said Otom of her aspirations.

“I am very much prepared po talaga. Since February pa ko nag-training ni coach Tony Ong at bumigat at bumigat yung workout namin,” said the limbless swimming queen, who bagged four golds and emerged as the top para swimmer in the Cambodia Asean Para Games in 2023.