Wangkay claims bronze at Dakar Youth Olympic Games

PI Durden Wangkay of the Philippines claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter (m) final at the Dakar 4th Youth Olympic Games Tuesday afternoon in Senegal, early Wednesday in Manila. Unleashing a personal best time of 21.36 (.355) seconds, Wangkay crossed the finish line in third place but was just 0.32 seconds off the gold medalist Ropafadzo Mizondo of Zimbabwe, who clocked 21.04. The 17-year-old Wangkay nearly seized the silver medal as he raced Deuquan Farrell of Guyana to a photo finish with only 0.004 seconds separating them. Farrell timed 21.36 (.359) to claim the silver, instead. Nonetheless, Wangkay reset his own Philippine national U18 and U20 records in the event of 21.40 seconds, which he posted at the Patafa Weekly Relays last month on Oct. 25. Wangkay, who finished fifth in the semifinals with 21.96, said he’s happy to take home a bronze after not expecting a podium finish. “Never [I didn’t expect to medal] because our times were close. It was a dogfight. So, to get to third place and almost second, I’m really satisfied.” Placed in lane 9 (outermost lane) with no peripheral sight of the opposition (placed furthest ahead in the staggered start), Wangkay said he just had to push through. “I was in...