^

PSN Palaro

Todo na 'to!

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ATHENS – Ibubuhos na lahat nina veteran Donald David Geisler III at rookie Mary Antoinette Rivero ng Philippines ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya upang maipanalo ang kani-kanilang laban sa kanilang pagsabak ngayon sa aksiyon sa 28th Olympic Games taekwondo competition sa Falliro Sports Pavilion dito.

"They’re more than determined to salvage the country’s pride and bring home Olympic medals after yesterday’s heartbreaking loss suffered by teammate Tshomlee Go," wika ni coach Jesus Morales III bago isagawa ng Filipinos ang kanilang regular workout noong Biyernes ng umaga.

Sasagupain ni Rivero, 16-anyos high school junior sa Dominican School si Vanina Sanchez ng Argentina sa alas-10:12 ng umaga (3:12 p.m. Manila time), habang haharapin naman ni Geisler na nasa kanyang ikalawang sunod na Olympic meet si Bahri Tanrikulu ng Turkey sa alas-11:42 a.m. (4:42 p.m. Manila time).

"Mas malakas ang loob nila dahil nakita nila na kahit world champion, natatalo," wika pa ni Morales.

"Go all out. We can do it," tagubilin naman ni Hong Sung Chon, ang Philippine Taekwondo Association vice president at overall training program head.

Nagwagi ang kalaban ni Rivero sa under 67 kilogram category ng silver medal sa World Championships na idinaos sa Manila noong 1995 at tumapos ng ikalima noong nakaraang taong World Championship sa Garmich-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Naibulsa naman ng karibal ni Geisler ang bronze sa 78-84kg class noong nakaraang taong World Championship sa Germany. Ito rin ang weight category nang kanyang isubi ang world title sa Cheju, Korea noong 2001.

Sumungkit rin si Tanrikulu ng tropeo bilang taekwondo’s ‘most outstanding performer’ sa anumang weight category.

Gaya ni Rivero, si Geisler, 1998 World Cup silver medalist at Vietnam Southeast Asian Games champion ay pawang nasa magandang kundisyon.

"He’s very good condition," wika ni Hong. "He’s well-preparerd. During the Korean Open in Seoul a few months ago, he matched up with his Korean rival point by point and lost only by superiority."

Umaasa si Geisler na matatabunan ang kanyang naging kabiguan sa mga kamay ng Swede sa kanyang Olympic debut apat na taon na ang nakakalipas sa Sydney.

BAHRI TANRIKULU

DOMINICAN SCHOOL

DONALD DAVID GEISLER

DURING THE KOREAN OPEN

FALLIRO SPORTS PAVILION

GEISLER

HONG SUNG CHON

RIVERO

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

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