Marc Lim bags breakthrough jiu-jitsu gold after third SEA Games try

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The third time is the charm for Filipino jiu-jitsu stalwart Marc Lim.

Lim finally clinched a gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games after two failed attempts in the past two editions as he reigned in the men’s ne-waza NOGI -69kg at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center here on Sunday, May 7.

The native from Davao finally got the monkey off his back after settling for silver and bronze in the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, respectively.

“Every year, I’ve come so close to gold and yet I fall short. Finally, through persistence, I now have a gold,” said Lim in a mix of Filipino and English.

Lim won the Philippines its third gold medal in jiu-jitsu after Kaila Napolis (women’s ne-waza GI -52kg) and Annie Ramirez (women’s ne-waza NOGI -57kg) triumphed in the previous days.

Earlier on Sunday, Meggie Ochoa faltered in her bid to capture a gold medal for the third straight SEA Games as she fell to Cambodian star Jessa Khan in the women’s ne-waza NOGI -52kg.

Khan, who fell to Napolis and settled for silver in the GI version of her weight class, made quick work of Ochoa with a kneebar submission.

The loss proved to be a double whammy for Ochoa, who needed to be carried out after suffering an apparent injury. – Rappler.com