Rivero bows out in sudden death

MADRID – Olympian Mary Antoinette Rivero bowed to Taiwanese Li Wen in sudden death of their lightweight quarterfinals showdown and failed to advance to the medal round in the World Taekwondo Championships at the Palacio De Deportes Wednesday here.

Rivero, fighting with a swollen foot, was beaten to the draw by the talented Taiwanese bet in their frenetic bid for the winning kick as Wen came up with a hit to the left side of Rivero’s body, thus denying the Filipino of a possible bronze medal finish.

Wen, who went on to win the gold over a Mexican rival, screamed while raising her arms in triumph to the delight of her teammates and officials.

"Sayang, isang puntos lang ang kailangan kong gawin, naunahan pa," said a dejected Rivero. "I was ready to launch a kick when suddenly, sa pag-atras niya biglang umatake. Hindi ko na nga naramdaman na tumama na siya sa pagkabigla ko."

Still, the RP team coaching staff remains hopeful of the bid of the other Pinoy bets’ chances.

"We still have a chance. Although Toni (Rivero) was the brightest star among the members of the team, we have to overcome this and get back to the drawing board," said coach Jesus Morales III.

Another Olympian, Tshomlee Go, and Vietnam Southeast Asian Game gold medalist Dax Alberto Morfe take center stage Thursday at the start of elimination round in the men’s flyweight and middleweight classes, respectively.

Multi-titled Stephen Fernandez, on the other hand, will call the shots for teener Aphrodite Brillantes, a 17-year-old student from of University of Santo Tomas and a first-timer in the biennial meet.

Go will be pitted against an Iranian opponent, while Morfe, the most veteran at 28, guns for a berth in medal round against a Venezuelan rival.

The other members of the team backed by Petron, First Gentleman Foundation and the Philippine Sports Commission, are Loraine Lorelie Catalan, Kathleen Eunice Alora, Manuel Rivero, Carlos Jose Padilla V, Alexander Briones and Juan Mendoza III, who are all set to see action on Friday.