RIO DE JANEIRO – Kirstie Elaine Alora, the last remaining medal hope for the Philippines in the 2016 Rio Olympics, is in good hands as she nears her Olympic debut.
On Saturday morning (evening in Manila), the 26-year-old Alora squares off against a two-time Olympic medalist from Mexico at the Carioca 3 of the Olympic Park here.
When Alora starts trading blows with Maria Espinoza, the one who will be giving her instructions from the sides will be Roberto “Kitoy” Cruz, the most successful Pinoy taekwondo jin ever.
Espinoza won the gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the bronze in the 2012 London Olympics. She is coached by a South Korean master, and is well admired in Mexico.
But Alora, according to her coach, is ready for this decorated Mexican.
Cruz knows what he’s talking about.
He is a six-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, and has won a gold, a silver and a bronze in the Asian Championships, plus three silvers and two bronze medals in the World Championships.
He also has in his collection two bronze medals in the World Cup from 1991 to 2003. He competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he was at the tailend of his fighting career.
In the world of taekwondo, the name “Kitoy” rings a bell.
Here in Rio, the 44-year-old Cruz has been working day and night to make sure Alorra is in tip-top shape for her opening match against the No. 1 ranked fighter in her division.
Alora is ranked 16th among 16 bets in the +67 kg class, certainly the underdog.
But Cruz, who celebrated his 44th birthday watching live taekwondo action Thursday, said as long as Alora flashes her speed, she has a pretty solid chance.
If Alora wins her opening match, she needs two more victories to get straight to the finals, and give the Philippines a rare crack at the Olympic gold.
The Philippines already has a silver in this Rio Games, courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, and another medal of any color will give the country its best finish in the Olympics.
A defeat in her opening match will not mean the end for Alora because she can land in the repechage (losers bracket) as long as Espinoza advances to the finals.
In the repechage, the losers will battle it out for the two bronze medals at stake in the sport.
“Kaya ni Elaine,” said Cruz, who was not around when Alora and Espinoza met once right after the Beijing Olympics. The Mexican won that match, 2-1.
Cruz said Alora’s quickness can carry her past Espinoza.
“She needs to be fast. She must show her quickness in this match,” said Cruz.