Lean Team Phl down to 5 athletes

LONDON – Two archers, two swimmers, one weightlifter and one shooter are heading back to Manila.

More than half the size of Team Philippines appeared for only 30 minutes in their event before bowing out one by one right after the first round in the 30th Olympic Games Thursday.

Archer Mark Javier joined fallen compatriot Rachelle Ann Cabral, yielding to world No. 1 Ellison Brady of the US, 111-99, in the men’s archery competition which did not go the full route.

The five-set match ended after the fourth set after Brady won three sets-to-nil, with one draw, in the best-of-five series for a place in the round of 32. He won, 7-1, in the match where a win is scored two points, a draw one point and a loss zero.

His loss was a repeat of his first-round exit in the 2008 Olympics when, as a rookie he admitted being unable to overcome the pressure of competing in the Olympics for the first time.

“I wasn’t upset (now). I want to compete against him because he is the best in the world. It was a relief to get one point on the board,” said Javier. “I’m going to take a rest. Maybe I will go on vacation.”

Cabral, who came into the Lord’s Cricket Ground at No. 55 after the classification round last July 27, fell to 17th ranked Inna Stepanova of Russia, 22-23, 18-23, 25-25, 22-27, Monday.

For all his dejection, Javier had company.

Brady’s bid also ended in the next round where he lost to 23rd ranked Worth Taylor of Australia, 7-1,

“To say I am disappointed is the least – it sucks. I hit a left and right eight (in the final set) – I don’t shoot those. It’s a beautiful stadium but you feel the wind going the complete opposite way to the flags,” he said.

“Now, I’m going to get ready for Rio (2016),” he added.

Fil-Canadian Crispin Duenas, who finished the classification round ranked eighth, could have had an easy assignment in No. 57 El-Nemr Ahmed but the Egyptian also blocked his path to the medal rounds. Nemr won, 6-2, only to yield to Kuo Cheng-Wei of Chinese Taipei, 6-2.

Duenas, who had been offered a slot in the Philippine team, might consider the offer since he isn’t drawing as much support as he needed from the Canadian team. He is going back to teaching in Canada where he lives with his parents from Malabon before he considers picking up his bow and arrow again.

With six out of contention, the only athletes on which the Philippine team’s hopes hinge are boxer Mark Barriga, long jumper Marestella Torres, 5,000m runner Rene Herrera, judoka Tomohiko Hoshina, and BMX rider Danny Caluag.