Gawilan secures Paralympic berth after winning Asian Para Games gold

Filipino swimmer Ernie Gawilan secured his fourth Paralympic Games berth after striking gold at the 5th Asian Para Games on Oct. 19, 2026, at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium in Japan.

Gawilan replicated his achievement from the previous edition in China, reigning supreme in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

With the victory, Gawilan secured his spot in the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics and will aim to surpass his sixth-place finish at the 2024 edition in Paris.

According to national para swimming coach Tony Ong, Gawilan’s Asian Para Games gold medal was enough to earn him a direct ticket to the Los Angeles Paralympic Games.

It was a neck-and-neck battle as Gawilan clocked 4 minutes, 56.72 seconds to snatch gold, improving on his Hangzhou Games performance of 4 minutes, 58.29 seconds.

Gawilan edged China’s Zhang Yilong, who settled for silver after finishing the race in 5 minutes, 1.36 seconds, and Singapore’s Toh Wei Soong, who snagged bronze with a time of 5 minutes, 24.23 seconds.

The 35-year-old Philippine para swimmer has not missed a beat, winning his third consecutive Asian Para Games gold medal to extend his dominance in the quadrennial event.

Gawilan’s win came as a relief to the Philippine delegation after his fellow swimmers and track cycling athletes endured a slow start to the tournament.

In the preliminary rounds of the swimming competition, Edwin Villanueva and Muhaimin Ulag failed to reach the podium, while track cycling athletes Patrick Lee and Arthus Bucay did not make the top 10.

Aiming to follow in Gawilan’s footsteps are Rico Canlas and Allan Paje, who are seeking strong results in the upcoming para powerlifting event.