Jay-Ann Labasano, the 17-year-old who won the gold medal for the 3000m event in this year’s Palarong Pambansa, chose to run the race barefoot, proving that the her skill is much more important than gear.
She didn’t expect to win
The 17-year-old runner clocked in at 10:32.67, which was 11 seconds faster than the runner who won second place. And her amazing feat was all done barefoot.
According to her coach, she actually owns a pair of rubber shoes, but she only uses them for practice. Jay-Ann shares that running barefoot makes her feel lighter.
She added that she didn’t expect to win the race, but she was very happy that she won the medal for Region 10. She’s slated for another race, the 1500m event where she might have another chance to bring home the medal.
Other runners also ran barefoot
Surprisingly, she wasn’t the only runner who ran barefoot during this year’s Palarong Pambansa. 2 other athletes from Region 5 ran their races barefoot, and when asked why they chose to ran without rubber shoes on, they said that made them feel lighter, and they ran faster.
Back in 2012, a runner named Angelica De Josef broke the record for the 800m as well as the 1500m race, both records were set by her running barefoot.
It just goes to show that when it comes to athletes, their skill and dedication to their chosen sport is much more important than the gear that they are using.
Source: coconuts.co
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