SEAG heroine Muros-Posadas finally retires

This time it’s for real – Southeast Asian Games multi-gold medallist Elma Muros-Posadas has retired for good.

Muros had indicated her decision to retire during the coaches’ meeting this year, Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association president Go Teng Kok said.

"Elma has officially retired last Jan. 1 and we immediately removed her from the list of athletes we submitted to the Philippine Sports Commission this month," said Go. "She said she wants to give the younger athletes the chance to shine and spend more time with her family."

Muros-Posadas won 13 SEAG gold medals since 1985, eight of them from long jump. She won two gold medals in the heptathlon, the last during the 2001 SEAG in Kuala Lumpur. She also won the 100m dash and the 100m hurdles to become the only Filipino athlete to have won in four different events of the rich track and field competitions in the SEA Games.

That turned out to be Muros-Posadas’ farewell stint as Go said the PATAFA may not tap her as one of the coaches of the national athletics team currently preparing for this year’s Asian Games in Busan, South Korea in September.

"She had to undergo coaching courses by the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) if she wants to be one of our coaches," said Go. "But I’ve heard the PSC is bent on tapping her as one of its consultants like Lydia (De Vega-Mercado)."

Meanwhile, Go vowed to bring home at least seven medals in the 2002 Asiad, three of which gold medals.

"Based on the comparative results of the last 4As (Asian Amateur Athletic Association) track and field championships in August 2000, I can say we have a strong chance of bringing seven medals, including three gold medals, in the Asian Games in Korea," said Go. – Joey Villar