Ominous signs
Right from the start of the Beijing Olympics, the signs of disaster were ominous for the
Then, the announcers mentioned the Filipino flag-bearer Manny Pacquiao was entered in the boxing competitions, betraying their unforgivable ignorance. Hello! Every sports broadcaster worth his salt should know who Pacquiao is by now and that professional fighters are not allowed to participate in the Olympics.
Surely, the
Or maybe the announcers knew something we didn’t, that there was nothing to expect from the lean and far-from-mean delegation of 15 in
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Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president Mark Joseph said the psychological factor is a vital element in mentally preparing an athlete for competition at the world stage.
“It’s definitely a factor,” he said. Joseph noted that psychology was a key topic of discussion among the country’s sports officials in a post-mortem dinner in
There was no doubt lightflyweight boxer Harry Tañamor, taekwondo jins Tshomlee Go and Toni Rivero, shooter Eric Ang and archer Mark Javier had the talent to shine but because of the severe pressure to deliver, none qualified for the medal round in their sports. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and long jumpers Henry Dagmil and Marestella Torres also fell way short of medal qualifying standards.
Observers said a main reason for the
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In the run-up to
Nesty, 40, is in the record books as the first black swimmer to capture an Olympic gold medal. He achieved the feat in the 100-meter butterfly at the 1988 Seoul Games.
Nesty, however, wasn’t the first black swimmer to win an Olympic medal. The distinction belongs to Enith Brigitha, a Dutch competitor of
Nesty won the gold after US hot favorite Matt Biondi blew a two-foot lead 10 meters from the finish by miscalculating his distance to the touch pad. Biondi chose to kick in the last few feet instead of taking an extra stroke and the wrong decision allowed Nesty, then 20, to beat him by less than an inch. Nesty’s time of 53.00 was just a fraction ahead of Biondi’s 53.01.
Nesty’s victory was a shocker. He was born in
which is on the east coast of
Nesty is now a
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