Rio 2016: The Philippine Olympic Contingent
The 2016 Rio Olympics is happening in a few days, and everyone is excited for the event. There may have been athletes that decided to skip the event due to the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, but that did not stop our Philippine contingent from making the trip.
Also read: Bitten: Zika Virus 101
WILL 2016 BE OUR YEAR? 1996 was the last time we won a medal at the Olympics. (Photos used were grabbed from flagpedia.net and Wikipedia Commons)
Here is the list of athletes who have qualified and will represent the Philippines at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, happening from August 5 – 21:
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Athletics
Eric Shawn Cray (Men’s 400m hurdles). His latest achievement is winning silver at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Challenge Cup in Madrid with a time of 48.98 seconds, a national record for the 400m hurdles. (via Rappler)
Eric Shawn Cray. Photo grabbed from www.all-athletics.com
Mary Joy Tabal (Women’s Marathon). She qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics via the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, and 31 seconds, surpassing the Olympic qualifying mark of 2 hours and 45 minutes. (via ABS-CBN News)
Photo grabbed from Mary Joy Tabal Facebook page.
Marestella Torres-Sunang (Women’s Long Jump). The 35-year-old veteran qualified for her third straight Olympics via her national-record setting jump of 6.72 meters, at the Kazakhstan Open Athletics Championship earlier this month, beating the Olympic standard by .02 meters. (via Spin.ph)
Photo grabbed from Marestella Torres-Sunang Facebook account.
Boxing
Rogen Ladon (Men’s Light Flyweight 46-69 kg). A first-time Olympian, he qualified for the Olympics by bagging silver at the Asian-Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers in Qian’An, China. (via Rappler)
Rogen Ladon. Photo grabbed from Fox Sports Asia
Charly Suarez (Men’s Lightweight 60 kg). Another first-time Olympian, he qualified with Ladon at the Asian-Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers in Qian’An, China with a silver medal finish. (via Spin.ph)
Weightlifting
Hidilyn Diaz (Women’s 53 kg). One of the country’s most promising weightlifters, Diaz (ranked number 4 in the world) qualified for the Olympics after getting three bronze medals at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championship in Houston last year. (via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Filipino weightlifters Nestor Colonia and Hidilyn Diaz. Photo grabbed from www.watchmendaily.com
Nestor Colonia (Men’s 56 kg). The fourth-ranked lifter in the world secured his slot by competing at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last April. (via Spin.ph)
Swimming
Jasmine Alkhaldi (Women’s 100m freestyle) and Jessie Khing Lacuna (Men’s 200m butterfly). Both qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics via a universality slot, formerly known as a wild card. (via Team Philippines Sports Updates Facebook page)
Photo grabbed from Jasmine Alkhaldi Facebook account.
Taekwondo
Kirstie Elaine Alora (Women’s +67 kg). After winning silver at the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament last April, the two-time Asian Games bronze medalist is all set for the Rio Olympics. (via Fox Sports Asia)
Table Tennis
Ian Lariba (Women’s Singles). The DLSU standout and first Filipina table tennis player to qualify for the Olympics secured her slot at the ITTF-Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament last April. She’s also the country’s designated flag bearer for the Olympics. (via Rappler)
Photo taken by Lyner Dyrit, grabbed from Ian Lariba Facebook account.
Golf
Miguel Tabuena (Men’s Individual). The International Golf Federation’s (IGF) 37th-ranked golfer gave the country its only golfer to compete in the recently-revived Olympic golf tournament. (via Spin.ph)
Photo grabbed from www.spin.ph
Every Filipino is now praying for a podium finish, as these athletes have been some of the most promising our country has fielded in the Olympics since 1996, when Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco bagged a silver medal in Atlanta.
