Jerrold Mangliwan sets new personal best, finishes 6th in 1500m race

An 11-second improvement from his previous personal best for Jerrold Mangliwan. PPC (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Jerrold Mangliwan showed that he has vastly improved now after finally going sub-four minutes in the Tokyo Paralympics 1500-meter wheelchair race on Sunday night at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

Despite failing to make the podium in his second medal race of the Olympic season, Mangliwan still had something to be proud of after finishing at three minutes and 58.24, a new personal best that is way better than his previous career-fast of 4:09.95.

He finished sixth out of seven racers.

Even those who finished ahead of Mangliwan set their fastest times for 2021.

Gold medal winner Tomoki Sato of Japan broke the Paralympic record after clocking in at 3:29.13, dethroning 2016 champ Raymond Martin of the United States by just 0.59 seconds.

Martin, who set the previous Paralympic record of 3:40.63 in Rio De Janeiro in 2016, still got an area record with his 3:29.72 performance, which was good for silver.

Hirokazu Ueyonabaru capped another 1-3 finish for Japan with a personal best of 3:44.17.

Fourth placer Thomas Geierspichler of Austria set his new season-best at 3:54.77, just 0.05 seconds ahead of fifth placer Leonardo Perez of Mexico, who also had a season-best.

Isaiah Rigo of the United States had the slowest stint but it was still below four minutes at 3:59.42.

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