The Philippines' women's sprint team secured the silver medal in the 4x60-meter relay at the 6th Asian Beach Games on Sunday, April 26, 2026, held at Phoenix Island in China.
Relay Team Composition and Performance
Jessica Rose Laurance, who had won bronze in the women's 60-meter dash the previous day, teamed up with Shane Joy Ponce, Lianne Diana Pama, and Olympian Kristina Marie Knott to deliver another podium finish for Team Philippines. The quartet clocked 29.73 seconds, finishing just milliseconds behind Thailand, which claimed gold with a time of 29.46 seconds. Host China took bronze with 30.42 seconds.
The silver medal was supported by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick "Pato" Gregorio. This achievement boosted the country's medal tally to three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes.
Athletes' Reactions
Knott noted the unique challenges of beach sprinting: "It's so different. There's no baton. The exchange zone is three meters versus 30 meters. So, I think our only enemy in the race was the zone." Laurance expressed her joy: "It feels great. Honestly, I came here not knowing what to expect. I really just wanted to have fun and see what I could do on sand. I've never run on sand and I really beat my expectations. So, I'm really happy."
Other Highlights for the Philippines
The country's campaign in beach athletics was highlighted by Leonard Grospe, who won the Philippines' second gold medal on Friday after topping the men's high jump at the start of the competition. Meanwhile, Mariel Abuan fell short of a podium finish in the women's high jump, placing sixth after clearing 1.60 meters.
