RP jins rarin’ to strut wares

ATHENS (Via Globe Telecom) — Filipino taekwondo jins are given a day’s rest to recover from their 13-hour trip from Manila Sunday before going back in training for their shot at Olympic glory.

Eased of the burden of producing the country’s first gold four years ago, the three Pinoy jins are raring to go in their respective matches on Aug. 26 and 28 at the Olympic Sports Pavilion here.

Aside from the Filipino boxers, the jins are the nation’s biggest hopes to medal in the event, an ancient martial art form which made it to the Olympic mainstream with its debut in 2000 in Sydney.

The team — made up of veteran Donald Geisler, rookies Tshomlee Go and Marie Antoinette Rivero and coach Jobet Morales — checked in at the athletes village at mid-day with the jins taking it easy and doing a look-see of the place.

"We will take a day-off and resume training tomorrow," said Morales.

The jins are actually tapering off from their regimen since undergoing serious training at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Complex inside Ateneo and a three-month stint in a Korean training camp.

A tournament rule limiting only one nation to only two men and two women in the four men and women weight categories to prevent the Koreans, a traditional force in the discipline, to sweep the golds, has enhanced the RP jins’ bid for the gold with Geisler and Go spared of Korean rivals in the under 80-kg and under 67-kg, respectively.

The 5-foot-8 Rivero, a second year student at the Angelicum Home Studies, has a talented Korean in her class but she remained undaunted since she said she had met the best of them in sparring during their Korean sojourn.

"Handa na sila," said Morales.

They would do roadwork in the morning to build up their stamina and strength and hone their fighting skills on afternoon session until their fight day. Go will go up on Aug. 26 while Geisler and Rivero will see action on Aug. 28.