Still, chances

Before Paris welcomed the world, we assessed individual chances of Filipino athletes seeing action in the quadrennial games. We picked EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo and the boxers as the brightest hope for a medal.

It dimmed. At least for eight athletes who bowed out early. Three of them are gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar. Despite falling short, they leave Paris with a legacy as the first Filipino women, all three of them, to compete in Olympic gymnastics after 60 years.

Their lone male counterpart did not disappoint. At least in the qualifiers. Yulo eased through the finals in the all-around, vault and floor exercise. Three chances to medal for a short man but with the tallest skill. He is not expected to be around near the podium in the all-around. He struggles in the pommel horse, the rings and the bars.

Expect the 4’11” phenom to spit venom in the floor exercise and the vault. He is world champion at both. But if homegrown and heritage players could not medal, other athletes of Filipino lineage may compensate. Or console, if at all.

A Filipino-British appears Yulo’s toughest foe. Jake Jarman, whose mother is Cebuano, is ahead of the diminutive Filipino in the qualifying ranking. Although Yulo appeared to hold back something. Just like the others, to peak in time where the medal is ripe for the picking.

True, the eight exit early. But not without a fight. They at least made their presence felt. Fencer Samantha Catantan stunned with a come-from-behind win in the opening round. She maintained her momentum in the round of 32 but narrowly lost against an Italian two-time world champion. Meanwhile, Filipino-American Lee Kiefer wins fencing gold for the United States. What if she wore Philippine colors?

Never mind what ifs, they can never be answered. Live what is. Like rower Joanie Delgaco who buoyed to the quarterfinals after topping her second chance. She rowed behind just the same, but without shame. Meanwhile, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe was still haunted by her Tokyo fiasco.

Aira Villegas beat her Moroccan foe to start rousing Philippine boxing campaign. Nesthy Petecio took the cue and beat her taller Indian foe. But in a dramatic upset, higher seed Eumir Marcial fell to a taller Olympic debutant from Uzbekistan. Again, expect the unexpected.

Swimmer Kayla Sanchez floated to the 100m freestyle semifinals by rewriting her personal best and national record. But the Filipino mermaid finished way behind the 8 finalists. Now eight are gone, but 14 still has the gun. One of them is Carlo Paalam. The weightlifters too. And of course, EJ Obiena. Who among them mints the chance into a medal still hangs in the balance.

If no one brings home a medal, we’re back to square one. From a hundred years of campaign. Without continuity, Hidilyn Diaz becomes a fluke, within the context of the national sports program. By then it validates it was her personal sacrifice and discipline that made her golden.