Three medals in three international events this year for Baguio grown Jones Llabres Inso, even as Thornton Quiney Lou Sayan has finally won his first medal for this year in same number outing as his team mate.
Inso took his third bronze medal of the year after placing third in taijiquan and taijijian in the World Combat Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over the weekend.
Inso scored a total of 19.399 in the event he actually “inherited” from now wushu taolu coach Daniel Parantac and behind champion An Hyeongi of Korea (19.493) and Ty Yu Shuan of Singapore (19.453).
Inso scored 9.703 in taijiquan in tie with Tay with the champion atop with 9.73 but only managed to score 9.636 in taijiquan which is fifth best.
Malaysian Tan Zhi Yan and Wing Kui Sin scored better at 9.73 and 9.696, respectively but wound up fifth and fourth, respectively, when their scores were added.
Inso last May took the bronze in the same event in the Southeast Asian Games and the same medal in the biggest stage, the Asian Games late September.
His senior, Sayan, meanwhile, bagged the bronze medal after posting scores of 9.72 and 9.69 in nanquan and nangun for a cumulative score of 19.41.
He finished behind Taiwan’s Liu Chang Min (19.499) and China’s Huang Junhua (19.473). While placing third in nanquan, just like Inso he placed fifth in the other event where his score by Shahin Banetalebi of Iran (9.74 tied for second) and Korean Yong Mun Lee (9.726 for fourth).
The La Trinidad grown but Baguio City National High School alumnus Sayan is a six time Philippine National Games champion, won a silver in the SEAG in Duilian in 2015, bronze medal in duilian in the 30th SEAG hosted by Philippines in 2019, a silver medalist in second Taolu World Cup in nangun and two time gold medalist in the 2021 Asian Traditional Wushu Online Competition for nanquan and nangun.
Two other Filipino wushu players took medals, both silvers with Agatha Wong in taijijuan and taijijian and Clemente Tabugara in wushu sanda’s 65 kilogram.
Like Inso, Tabugara won a bronze medal in the last Asiad.
In a post, Philippine Olympic Committee chair Bembol Tolentino congratulated the four wushu athletes for their wins.
He wrote: “Congratulations, for a super performance from Agatha Wong , Clemente Tabugara, Thorn Sayan and Jones Inso for bagging the silver and bronze medals at Women’s Tajiquan, Men’s Sanda 65kg, Men’s Talou Nanquan and Nangun Finals in wushu!”
He added: “Heartfelt congratulations to the Philippine Wushu team who came with 4 out of 4 medals hauling the first multiple medals for the country. Personally witnessed all today’s competition since 10am up to the last event. Mabuhay ang atletang Pinoy!” Pigeon Lobien
