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    Six Filipino athletes with the best shot at Tokyo Olympic medal

    Rating the medal chances of the Philippines' 19 athletes in the Tokyo Olympics
    Jul 19, 2021
    Team Philippines
    ILLUSTRATION: Echo Antonio

    THE Philippines will be going to Tokyo with a lot of confidence that the 2020 Olympic Games represent the country's best chance at an elusive gold medal.

    That hope is not without merit as a nation long starved for Olympic success has seen unprecedented success from a number of athletes in the run-up to the Tokyo Games that unfold in four days' time.

    With that in mind, SPIN.ph reviews the 19 athletes in the compact Philippine delegation and see where they stand in the medal chase.

    Medal longshots

    CRIS NIEVAREZ

    The rower clinched his first Olympic appearance after a ninth-place finish in the Asia/Oceania Qualification Regatta last May with a time of 7:37.55. But he faces an uphill battle in Tokyo against the likes of Oliver Zeidler of Germany, who clocked 6:44.55 on his way to winning the 2019 world title.

    LUKE GEBBIE

    The Filipino swimmer will plunge into action in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle events. In his most recent competition in Australia, the 24-year-old clocked 22.74 and 50.07 seconds in the two events, respectively. Caleb Dressel of the US and Kliment Kolesnikov of Russia hold the best times for this year with 21.04 and 47.31 seconds, respectively.

    REMEDY RULE

    The 24-year old will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly where she swam 59.83 and 2:10.90 respectively in her most recent meet. Torrie Huske of the US posted the season’s best in the 100-meter butterfly with 55.66 seconds, and Yufei Zhang of China clocked 2:05.44 in the 200-meter butterfly.

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    KRISTINA KNOTT

    An Olympian via the universality place, Knott set a national record when she timed a personal best of 23.01 seconds in the 200-meter run. The 25-year-old Knott, ranked No. 111 in the world, will be facing a daunting task against the likes of Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain, the top-seed in her event who posted a season-best of 22.06 seconds.

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    JAYSON VALDEZ

    Ranked No. 110 in the world with a rating of eight, Valdez qualified through a quota system of the International Shooting Sports Federation in the men’s 10-meter air rifle. Istvan Peni of Hungary is heavily-favored to win a gold medal in the event being the world number one with a rating of 1589.

    KIYOMI WATANABE

    Also making her Olympic debut, the Fil-Japanese will enter Tokyo ranked No. 41 in the world. The 32-female field will have top-ranked Clarisse Agbegnenou and reigning Olympic champion Tina Trstenjak of Slovenia as favorites to capture the gold.

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    ELREEN ANDO

    The future of Philippine weightlifting is definitely bright thanks to Ando, who will compete alongside Hidilyn Diaz in this year’s Olympics. Ranked No. 33 in the world, Ando, who lifted a personal best 213 kilograms during the recent Asian Weightlifting Championship, will be going up against No. 1 Mercedes Isabel Perez Tigrero and Deng Wei of China, who has the best lift among all the competitors with 261 kilograms.

    MARGIELYN DIDAL

    Ranked No. 17 in the world, Didal also placed 17th when she competed in the 2021 World Championship in Italy. Didal will have to hurdle world number one Pamela Rosa of Brazil and world champion Aori Nisimura of Japan for a shot at a medal in this sport where judges spell the difference between victory and defeat.

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      IRISH MAGNO

      Magno qualified after an impressive showing in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Asia/Oceania when she finished in the top six, in the process gaining an outright berth in Tokyo. Magno will be going up against a tough field that includes Busenaz Cakiroglu of Turkey, Asian champion Mary Kom of India, and Southeast Asian Games champion Thi Tam Nguyen of Vietnam.

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      Outside shots

      KURT BARBOSA

      The lone Filipino jin in the Tokyo Olympics clinched a berth in dramatic fashion after a come-from-behind win against Zaid Al-Halawani of Jordan, 50-49, in the final match of the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament. Barbosa is ranked No. 151 in the world with Korea’s Jun Jang on top in the Olympic rankings. But with only a 16-man Olympic field and the luck of the draw, anything can happen.

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      JUVIC PAGUNSAN

      Pagunsan gained a berth in Tokyo by finishing inside the top 60, No. 48 to be exact, in the Olympic Golf Rankings. Though he will be facing tall odds, the nature of the sport sometimes dictates that anyone can win at any given time in golf. World number one and US Open champion Jon Rahm and Masters titlst Hideki Matsuyama of Japan are part of the field.

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      BIANCA PAGDANGANAN

      The Filipina golfer had a smashing rookie season in the LPGA Tour that helped her reach No. 44 in the Olympic Golf Rankings. Though her best finish this year is 39th in the Pure Silk Championship, Pagdanganan already placed third in the LPGA Drive-On Championship last year. Definitely good enough to have a shot at a golf medal.

      CARLO PAALAM

      Boxing has traditionally been one of the best bets of the Philippines in the Olympics especially in the lighter weight categories where Paalam is entered. The Filipino flyweight is ranked No. 12 in the 52-kilogram category as of September 2020. Amit Panghal of India, the number one in the world, beat Paalam during the 2018 Asian Games semifinals, with the Filipino boxer settling for bronze.

      Medal contenders

      EJ OBIENA

      The Filipino pole vaulter have been making waves in the build-up to Tokyo, having already cleared 5.87 meters in one of his competitions to set a new national record. It appears, however, that Obiena needs to clear six meters for a shot at the medal. Armand Duplantis of Sweden remains the top bet for the gold, following his 6.01-meter effort in the recent Diamond League plus the 6.10 world record he owns.

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      EUMIR MARCIAL

      The past few years saw Filipino middleweight rise to become one of the best boxers in the world. Marcial has beaten the top boxers in the world on his way to a silver medal in the 2019 Aiba World Championship, and the gold in the Asia Olympic Qualifying Tournament last year. Marcial is No. 6 in the Aiba rankings as of September 2020 but has already beaten one boxer above him in Tursynbay Kulakhmet of Kazakhstan. Gleb Bakshi of Russia, Arlen Lopez Cardona of Cuba, Herbert Da Conceicao Sousa of Brazil, and Salvatore Cavallaro of Italy are among the foes to watch in Marcial’s weight category.

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      YUKA SASO

      The Fil-Japanese has been playing her best golf leading up to the Olympics. She is ranked No. 8 in the world as of posting time and Saso proved that she can win on the world stage after becoming the first Filipino to capture a major golf championship in the US Women’s Open. Saso along with Pagdanganan will be pitted against world number one and recent KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Nelly Korda, ANA Inspiration champion Patty Tavatanakit, and Koreans Jin Young Ko, Inbee Park, and Sei Young Kim.

      HIDILYN DIAZ

      The 2016 silver medalist has been preparing with all her heart over the past few years for a shot at the gold in Tokyo. Diaz, who made it back to her fourth Olympics after reaching the required number of tournaments during the qualifying period, is currently ranked fourth in the world, with 214 kilograms as his best lift. Her biggest rival in Tokyo will be Liao Quiyun of China, whose best lift is 227 kilograms.

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        NESTHY PETECIO

        This year could very well go down as the best chance of boxing to finally win the gold following the build-up of Petecio for Tokyo. The Filipina boxer had a career renaissance when she captured the gold in the 2019 Aiba World Women’s Boxing Championship. She is ranked No. 2 in the Aiba world rankings as of September 2020. World number one Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei, a boxer Petecio has yet to face in her career, and Japan’s Sena Irie, who beat Petecio in the Asia Olympic Qualifying Tournament, will be he toughest boxers in the draw.

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        CARLOS YULO

        The gymnast is perhaps the brightest hope of the Philippines to win a gold, based on his recent credentials. Competing in his pet floor exercise event, Yulo won the world title two years ago and remains atopthe world rankings in the apparatus. The Manila native won two gold medals in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, one of which came from the individual all-around where he could also be in contention in Tokyo.

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        ILLUSTRATION: Echo Antonio
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