Fulfilling his father's dream

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Sports Hall of Famer Renato Mier hopes his son, 26th SEA Games gold medalist John Renee will not only beat his medal collection but also fulfill his failed mission – to be in the Olympics someday.

In an interview with The Freeman, the former cyclist, now coach, looks forward to his son’s homecoming as he wants to discuss their next move after the SEA Games.

The elder Mier is one of the best track cyclists during his time. He got two golds, two silvers and a bronze from the three Southeast Asian Games a bronze in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, India.

Politics in sports ended the elder Mier’s dream of becoming an Olympian, although some years later he was tapped to be one of the national coaching staff in cycling.

Like most former athlete-turned-coach, the elder Mier has also devoted himself to training other wards and have given little time to hone his own child’s skills.

John Renee ‘Jan-Jan” Mier, however, silently worked his way up, joined some local BMX races, road races, and some mountainbike competitions and grabbed the opportunity to be in the Manila-based Philippine team even at a very young age of 17.

His first two international stints were during the 2009 Asian Mountainbike Championships as junior cyclist wherein he was named the best Southeast Asian rider in his class and then the 16th Asian Junior Cycling Championships in Indonesia of the same year.

After graduating from high school at Punta Princesa National High School, Jan-Jan tried out for the elite squad and beat the multi-titled Alfie Catalan in the individual pursuit, an event that is also his father’s forte.

Jan-Jan’s sterling performances in the try-out even as he was inexperienced in velodrome action paved the way for his entry to the PHL team under road and track cycling, trained in Australia, and competed in the Asian Games.

Jan-Jan Mier failed to get a medal in his first Asian Games in China, but gained a lot of experience in the process.

     In the just-concluded 26th SEA Games in Indonesia, Mier got a gold in the 30-km point race, a bronze in the 4000-m individual pursuit and another bronze from the team pursuit.

The elder Mier is not surprised with his son’s victory and even said, if only he still is with the PHL coaching staff, Jan-Jan could have done better than that as the one’s handling the training at the velodrome in Manila are former road racers, not tracksters.

“Kung naa pa lang unta ko ron sa coaching staff (PHL team), maski pag e-assign ko sa laing event, makatabang unta gihapon ko nilang Jan-Jan. Ako e-share ako knowledge sa ila sa velo. Karon man gud, diko ganahan mag-apil-apil, ingnan nya ko’g wala koy labot,” said Mier.

Mier just hopes his son’s drive to win will not wane and the 19-year-old would avoid temptations and marry early like several potential young cyclists who have married too young.

“Dili sa pagpanghinambog, pero kabalo ko nga mas makusgan pa jud ni si Jan-Jan. Bata pa gud siya pero makamao na mu-diskarte sa lumba. Kabalo pud siya kanus-a siya musuporta sa iyang mga kauban ug kanus-a siya mubanat para sa iyang kaugalingon. Kung dili lang jud unta ni siya mausab, di lang mamingyo’g sayo, unta maka-Olympics ni siya,” ended coach Mier. (FREEMAN)