(UPDATE) BANGKOK — Justin Kobe Macario delivered the country’s first gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games after ruling the men’s poomsae freestyle individual event on Wednesday morning here.
Displaying a sleek and sharp routine, and capped by a spectacular kick double spin, Macario topped the field with 8.20 points.
His score narrowly surpassed the host nation’s Koedkaew Atchariya (8.10), with Ken Haw Chin of Malaysia finishing third (7.74).
“I was also surprised earlier that I was the first gold [medalist] for the Philippines. And I am extremely happy because it is an honor to bring home the gold for the country,” Macario said in Filipino.
The 23-year-old jin bared that he was nervous since this was his first time competing in an individual event — but it all went well.
“When our lineup was first announced, I felt nervous because I’m not used to the SEA Games [individual] event; my past SEA Games appearances were all team events. And I grabbed this opportunity to play and represent the country,” he added.
The University of Santo Tomas standout finally captured his first gold in the biennial multisport event in his third campaign.
He previously finished silver in 2021 in Hanoi and bronze in 2023 in Cambodia.
With his stellar performance on the mat, it was evident from head coach Rani Ortega and Marcario’s body language that they are anticipating a higher score.
Macario explained that with nerves kicking in, sometimes one should just keep the faith.
“I felt confident with the routine I presented, and it was like I manifested that the gold medal was already mine,” he added.
Macario achieved a team gold medal and an individual bronze medal at the Asian Championships, followed by a team bronze and a mixed pair silver in the freestyle events at the most recent World Championships.