US-trained tankers excited to win gold

HANOI, Vietnam (via Globe Telecom) — If the Philippines did not win any gold medal in 1999 and 2001, could the frustration — and embarrassment — end this time?

At least, new national coach Guy Concepcion, whose glory days date back to the heydays of Eric Buhain, whose RP team won 10 golds in the 1991 Manila Southeast Asian Games, wouldn’t think Filipinos will suffer another humiliation here where the medal-rich sport offers 41 gold medals.

"The swimmers are excited, they are of the ripe age and are ready to fight," said an equally enthusiastic Concepcion, who took over the reins as national coach only two months ago.

"These swimmers are not pressured — you can see from their faces – they are all in high spirits," he said, referring to US-trained Miguel Molina, Juan Miguel Mendoza, Jenny Guerrero and Lizza Danila as they waited for the connecting flight from Hong Kong to Hanoi Tuesday.

"They’re not pressured. Those who are pressured are not sure of winning," he added.

While over half of the RP swimmers in Hanoi are first-timers, Concepcion said the veterans, particularly those trained abroad, are good enough to compete for the gold this time.

Molina, 18, a high school graduate of St. Mary’s International School, has made huge improvement since a bronze medal finish and a fourth in the 200 and 100m freestyle in Malaysia in 2001.

He was a good fifth in the 200m free and sixth in the 200IM and 100IM in the Busan Asian Games in 2002 when he also won the 100, 200, and 400m freestyle, and the 400m, 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 200 IM in the Southeast Asian age group competition also last year.

Mendoza, now 21, and a management information systems student at the University of Georgia, wants to improve on his silver medal finish in the 400m and 1500m freestyle in 2001.

Piccio, another member of the 1999 batch of rookies, is also 21 years old. The international business student of the University of Cincinnati also entertains high hopes of doing better than his bronze medal feat in the 400 IM and silver in the 1500m freestyle in 2001.

Guerrero, 18, an accounting student at Eastern Michigan University, eyes better than silver in the 100 breaststroke, bronze in the 200m breaststroke and 400 IM.

Lizza Danila, also 21, is the only swimmer who has trained in Australia. She has discontinued her sports recreation management studies at Victoria University to concentrate on her preparations for Hanoi.

"I want to surprise myself in the Games," said Danila, a silver medalist in the 100 and 200m backstroke and fourth placer in 200M individual medley in the 2001 SEA Games.

She is competing this time in seven individual events.