Filipino athletes Ana Bhianca Espenilla and Jerico Cadag at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, May 31, 2026. Handout/PSC
MANILA -- Young athletes Ana Bhianca Espenilla and Jerico Cadag delivered for the Philippines on Sunday at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong.
Espenilla, a 19-year-old javelin thrower from Masbate, came up clutch after struggling in her first five attempts. On her sixth and final throw, Espenilla unleashed a personal-best 52.20 meters at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, catapulting her to the silver medal and the biggest podium finish of her young career.
"Ang mga una kong throws wala talaga kaya nagulat ako sa huling throw ko. Sabi ko lang sa sarili ko na bahala na, itatapon ko na lang ito kaya hindi ko talaga inexpect na mag-52 (meters)," said Espenilla, who hails from Tigao Island.
Yu-chin Tai of Chinese Taipei seized the gold with a throw of 56.71m, while South Korea's Kim Minji secured the bronze at 51.51m.
The breakthrough gave her a timely confidence boost ahead of the World U20 Athletics Championships in Oregon on August 5–9, where she will join Jeralyn Rodriguez (400m), Naomi Cesar (800m), and Ivan Cabanda (400m hurdles).
"This is truly a remarkable feat. The Asian U20 Championships are, in essence, the Asian Games for athletes under 20 and a showcase of the continent's finest young talents," said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association President Terry Capistrano.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Cadag proved his mettle in the men's 3000m steeplechase final. Against a field of 13 runners, Cadag clocked 9:35.10 to clinch the bronze medal behind India's Nikhil Chandrashekar (9:25.44) and Japan's Yuu Kato (9:27.30).
A former javelin thrower, Cadag shifted to distance running -- notably the 1500m and 3000m, where he would win two golds at the Palarong Pambansa and a silver at the under-18 level in Southeast Asia.
In Hong Kong, he drew motivation from Vietnamese rival Luong Xuan Son, who had beaten him in Malaysia two years ago.
"Ayoko sayangin ang mga pagkakataon na binigay nila sa akin na lumaban para sa bansa. Ito ang pinakamalaking karera na sinalihan ko pero mas gagalingan ko pa sa mga susunod," said Cadag, an incoming engineering freshman at National University.
With Espenilla's silver and Cadag's bronze, the Philippine athletics squad supported by the Philippine Sports Commission closed the meet with two medals.