Elma sees pressure-free outing in farewell stint

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) – Elma Muros, who feels she is not getting the morale boost she needs in the twilight of a long career, will jump for her ninth gold in her favorite event and her 13th overall for probably the last time when the Southeast Asian Games athletic competitions start today at the Kuala Lumpur national stadium.

Muros was in reclusion yesterday on the eve of her last long jump in 20 years, but her husband-coach Jojo Posadas said the 34-year-old undefeated SEAG champion is in shape to extend her reign in long jump.

Also scheduled today are seven other final events where 10 national tracksters are bidding for the gold.

Entered in the finals are Roselyn Hamero (hammer throw), Emerson Obiena (pole vault), Lerma Bulauitan (long jump), Eduardo Buenavista and Daud Mama (3000 m steepleschase), Aing Jimar, Ernie Candelario, and John Lozada (400m), Lozada (1,500m) and Christable Martes (10,000m).

Athletics chief Go Teng Kok had predicted his tracksters would win seven to 12 gold medals, and whether they will meet the minimum will be known today since he singled out Obiena, Bulauitan, Buenavista, Lozada and Martes as the players with the biggest gold medal chances.

Muros, however, will be going into today’s long jump event nursing some ill-feelings against the Patafa leadership which had wanted to exclude her from this year’s lineup because she was already past her prime.

"Siempre masama ang loob ko nang marinig ko sa meeting na ganoon nga ang decision nila ka Elma," recalled Posadas.

Posadas, one of the national coaches, attended a coaches’ and officials’ meeting last July when Go told him it would be for the good of Muros if she retired and somebody took her place. Being groomed to replace her in the long jump is Bulauitan.

"She is prepared but she is disturbed. May tampo siya, kaya nga napag-usapan namin na dapat na lang siyang mag-retire pagkatapos ng SEA Games. Una, gusto na rin naming magkaroon ng isa pang baby," said Posadas. "Ako na mismo ang magbibigay ng decision."

The Posadases have a nine-year-old child.

"At least now she is not pressured to win the gold, and that ‘s good for her, unlike in the past when she had to produce the gold medal for the national team," he added.

Muros, who was discovered by the athletics association as a 13-year-old in the Palarong Pambansa in 1980, won the long jump eight times since 1983, except in 1987 when Lydia de Vega Mercado was entered in the event. De Vega ruled the event, including the 100 and 200m dash. Muros had to compete in the 100 m hurdles which she also won. Like de Vega, Muros had also won the100m in the SEA Games but after de Vega finally retired from competition. — Gerry Carpio