|
MANILA,
July 4 (PNA) – Athletics president Go Teng Kok named on Wednesday top
local long-jumpers Henry Dagmil and Marestella Torres to represent the
Philippines in the athletics event in the Beijing Olympics slated Aug.
8-24 this year.
Go
made the announcement after meeting with the national coaches who
evaluated the performances of the top candidates that also include
Julius Nierras, the only Filipino gold winner in the recent Asian Grand
Prix.
“We
based our decision on the athletes’ performances here and abroad and
after thorough evaluation we came up with Dagmil and Torres,” Go said.
The
26-year-old Dagmil is currently ranked 49th in the world. He is also
the current record holder in the Southeast Asian Games after he cleared
7.87 meters last December in Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand.
Dagmil
also underwent a two-month training under Fil-Am coach Jerry Cablayan
in the United States where he jumped 7.99 in the Bush Southern
California United States Track and Field Championships last month. The
leap reset his own RP mark.
On
the other hand, Torres earned the approval of the coaching staff due to
her back-to-back SEA Games gold performance and her silver medal finish
in the final leg of the Asian Grand Prix last June 30 in Hanoi,
Vietnam.
Dagmil
and Torres will join 12 other Filipino athletes who qualified in the
prestigious quadrennial meet. They are swimmers Miguel Molina, James
Walsh, Daniel Coakley, Ryan Arabejo and Christel Simms; divers Sheila
Mae Perez and Ryan Rexel Fabriga; taekwondo jins Tshomlee Go and Mary
Antoinette Rivero; boxer Harry Tañamor; archer Mark Javier; and shooter
Eric Ang.
The Philippines is hoping to win its first ever gold medal in Beijing Games. (PNA) |
