Ben Madilynn
DABAWENYO Ernie Gawilan’s quest for a medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics fell short once again as he finished sixth in the men’s 400-meter freestyle-S7 event at the Paris La Défense Arena late Monday evening (Philippine time).
Gawilan, an Asian Para Games gold medalist, completed the race in five minutes and 3.18 seconds (5:03.18), mirroring his sixth-place result from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
He finished behind the top three: Federico Bicelli of Italy, Andrii Trusov of Ukraine, and Inaki Basiloff of Argentina. Bicelli claimed gold with a time of 4:38.70, followed by Trusov with silver at 4:40.17, and Basiloff with bronze at 4:40.27.
The 33-year-old three-time Paralympian took to Facebook to express his regret over his performance.
“Maraming salamat po sa tiwala niyo ginawa ko na po lahat, mailap lang po talaga (Thank you so much for your trust. I did everything I could, but it was just elusive),” Gawilan said. “Pagpaumanhin niyo po sana ako kong di ko kayo lahat ma replyan sobrang appreciate ko po kayong lahat kayo naman po yong ipagdasal ko na ingatan at pagpalain kayong lahat ng Diyos (Please forgive me if I can’t reply to everyone. I truly appreciate you all. I will be praying for God to protect and bless each of you). God bless you all.
In the heats, Gawilan had shown strong form, leading the race from start to finish with a time of 5:13.00. Despite his underdeveloped extremities—one normal arm and no legs—his sixth-place finish was a notable comeback after an early exit in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7 event earlier in the weekend.
His and the rest of the lean Paralympics Team Philippines’ participation was funded by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). MLSA
