Carlos De Imus Poised for Gold at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games

Carlos De Imus has set his sights on gold at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. His recent performance at the 20km Asian Race Walk Championships in Nomi, Japan, proved that he is not only a rising star in Philippine athletics but also a serious contender on the regional stage.

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The 24-year-old shattered the Philippine national record in the men’s 20-kilometer race walk, clocking an impressive 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 0.03 seconds (1:30:03). His time erased the previous national record of 1:33:51, set by Michael Embuedo in 2009. More importantly, De Imus’ performance was significantly faster than the gold-winning time at the 2023 SEA Games, where Indonesia’s Hendro Yap secured victory with 1:40:42. He even surpassed Yap’s SEA Games record of 1:32:11, set in 2017.

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With this achievement, De Imus has cemented himself as the Philippines’ top race walker and a serious gold-medal hopeful. He competed in Nomi alongside his coach, Saturnino Salazar—himself a national record holder—and Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Terry Capistrano, marking a triumphant return to international competition for Philippine athletics.

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This race was De Imus’ first international outing of the year, but he has already built momentum with strong domestic showings. He dominated the 10,000-meter walk at the 2024 Philippine Championships and took on the 3,000-meter walk at the 2023 Batang Pinoy–Philippine National Games. His steady rise has positioned him as one of the most promising athletes in the sport.

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On the women’s side, Alana Julianne Halaguena represented the Philippines in the 20km race walk but was unable to finish. Despite the result, her participation highlighted the growing presence of Filipino race walkers in international competition.

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De Imus’ record-breaking performance has energized the Philippine athletics community. With the SEA Games fast approaching, can he maintain his dominance and bring home the gold?

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