Olongapo rhythmic gymnast accomplishes double gold finish in first Palaro stint

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines – At Palarong Pambansa, champions are made and discovered. 

Each year, the sports are bound to have several standouts across the regions. For swimming, there are record breakers Charles Nathan Boneo (Calabarzon), Patricia Santor (National Capital Region), and Riley Maddaleign Alindogan (Bicol). 

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For elementary girls’ rhythmic gymnastics, however, it’s Gabrielle Louie Mazon of Central Luzon. Hailing from Olongapo City, Mazon won gold medals in the ball and club events in the elementary girls’ rhythmic gymnastics tilt in the 66th games in Agusan del Sur. 

Mazon, a student from the Special Education Center for the Gifted, competed at the Palaro for the first time this year. 

Off the competition floor, 10-year-old Mazon is shy and soft-spoken. But when she’s in action, she knows how to make the space her own. Having been a gymnast for nearly six years now, she flashes a big smile while executing complex skills and maintaining tight control over the ball and the clubs. 

“Nakakaproud po kasi pinaka-first ko na gold ‘yung clubs (I feel proud because this is where I got my first gold),“ said Mazon, who also won the ball event. (LIVE UPDATES: Palarong Pambansa 2026 in Agusan del Sur)

Her coach, AJ Melgar, ran a tight program to set her players up for success. 

“‘Yung training and preparation po talaga niya is very hard po. I was very strict sa mga girls po talaga kasi hindi naman po ito city meet lang. National competition po siya, so I want them to showcase their full potential po talaga,“ she said. 

(Her training and preparation were very hard. I was very strict toward the girls because this isn’t just a city meet. It’s a national competition, so I want them to showcase their full potential.) 

Still, Melgar just wants Mazon to have fun and try her best — even when the pressure gets high on the mats. 

“She already knows all the technicalities. [I just tell her] to not let her nerves get the best of her, enjoy her routine, and think smart,” Melgar said in Filipino.

And with two Palaro golds under her belt, Mazon is already setting her sights on the Southeast Asian Games as early as now. – Rappler.com

المصدر: Rappler (PH)