MANILA, Philippines — Veteran swimmer Ernie Gawilan made a huge splash and a strong start for the Philippines, delivering the first medal and first gold in the 2026 Asian Para Games. Gawilan ruled the men’s 400-meter (m) freestyle event, clocking 4:56.72 in the S7 category. China's Zhang Ying placed second after clocking in 5:01.36 seconds, while Singapore’s Toh Wei Soong finished in 5:24.23 for the bronze medal. Gawilan is a 35-year-old swimmer and has won multiple gold medals in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. He was also a multi-medalist in the ASEAN Para Games, and he shattered the 18-year-old record in the men's 200m freestyle S7 with a time of 2:26.08