A look back at past Filipino Olympians

MANILA, Philippines - The athletes who will represent the Philippines in the 2012 London Olympics are gearing up for another difficult task to bring honor and recognition to the country.

The Philippines first participated in the Olympics in 1924, when it became the first country in Southeast Asia to compete in the games. David Nepomuceno, a world-class runner who specialized in 100 meter sprints, was the sole representative of the country that year. The Philippines’ first-ever medal was won by swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso — a bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke event at the 1928 Olympics.

So far, Filipino athletes have won a total of nine Olympic medals — two silvers and seven bronzes. The most successful Olympic outing the country’s ever had was in 1932, winning three bronze medals. Despite that, the Philippines now holds the record for the most medals without a gold.

Evidently, boxing has been the country’s strongest suit when it comes to producing medals. Both silver medals garnered were won inside the ring. But here’s something interesting: The two silver medalists (Anthony Villanueva and Mansueto Velasco Jr.) both had a family relative who competed in the same sport and won bronze medals in different years.

In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Anthony competed in the featherweight division and won the silver medal in a loss against Soviet Union’s Stanislav Stepashkin. His father, Jose Villanueva, was also a boxer and won a bronze during the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

Mansueto, more famously known as Onyok, won his silver medal in the light-flyweight category at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His older brother Roel Velasco, also a light-flyweight, was a winner of the Olympic bronze in the previous Summer Olympics.

It’s been 16 years since the country last won a medal in the Olympics and the hunger for winning another one only grows stronger. The country has been shining in sports globally these past years, yet the quest for international excellence in the quadrennial event is still an uphill battle.

The Filipino athletes may lack in size and strength but they do have a lot of heart and pride.

The most awaited sports spectacle of the year is six months away. Solar Entertainment Corporation, as the official broadcaster of the 30th Olympiad, will bring the action to the Philippines. Solar Sports will be airing the Olympic competitions 24/7, BTV will be airing the much awaited basketball games, and TALKtv will all be airing daily recaps of the events.