Fil-foreign tracksters make it to world juniors meet in US

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-foreigners Kayla Richardson and Zion Corrales Nelson recently re-wrote history by becoming the first athletes with Filipino blood to qualify in the World Juniors Athletics Championship set July 22-27 in Eugene, Oregon in the United States.

Both 15 years old, Fil-Am Richardson made it in the 100 and 200 meters by recently recording her fastest times of 11.78 and 24.03 seconds in the United States, while Fil-Canadian Nelson checked in at 24.35 and 54.18 in the finals of the British Columbia High School Track and Field Championship in Langley to make the grade in the 200m and 400m.

"We have two athletes qualified for World Juniors, Kyla Richardson and Zion Corrales Nelson," said Phl-based Fil-Brit Andrew Pirie, an athletics consultant of the Phl Sports Commission.

"A new era dawns on Phl sprint because of these two 15-year-old sprinters," he added.

It was a sensational performance for Nelson as she eclipsed the national 400m record twice in a week.

Earlier, the 5-7 Nelson clocked 54.64 in the heats in Langley to obliterate the national mark of 54.65 seconds which Jenny Rosales set in the UAAP last year and the 33-year-old junior record of 54.75 seconds posted by former Asia’s track queen Lydia de Vega-Mercado.

Her 54.18 time in the finals not only copped her the gold but also validated her status as one of the fastest the country has ever produced since the era of de Vega-Mercado during the Gintong Alay days in the 80s.

After the World Juniors, Nelson is hoping to make the 53.71 grade to make the national team plunging into action in the 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games.

Nelson will also attempt to make the century dash standard of 11.90 in the World Juniors as she tries to improve on her best time of 12.03.

"Well done to coaches Jon Gilmer (Richardson) and Bret Goller (Nelson) for guiding and mentoring these promising young athletes," said Pirie.