Silver lining for Tio

YOG mourns Baumann’s passing

BUENOS AIRES – Kiteboarder Christian Tio delivered the silver medal for Team Philippines on a bright, sunny day that was marred by news on the sudden death of a key member of the International Olympic Committee.

The 17-year-old Tio frolicked in the waters of the San Isidro Nautical Club. After several cancellations the past couple of days, races were held on the event’s final day, giving the Filipino-Norwegian the breaks he needed.

Tio, in fourth after six completed races, came out strong Sunday to finish second among eight finalists. He gave Team Philippines its first medal in this YOG, behind gold winner Duery Corniel of the Dominican Republic.

Because of a tie, two silver medals were awarded, the other one claimed by Toni Vodisek of Slovakia. Another cancellation due to lack of winds would have denied Tio the chance to win a medal.

“It’s been a tough week. We really had light winds and I’m really happy to get the silver. I thought it was bronze or something, but when I checked we were both silver,” said Tio, who considers the island of Boracay as home, in an interview that was posted on social media.

“I’m speechless. I’m just really happy, I don’t know how to celebrate yet,” said Tio, only the second Filipino athlete to win a medal in the YOG after archer Luis Gabriel Moreno, a gold medalist in Nanjing in 2014.

“That did very well (coming here early) because I don’t have any jetlag and I wasn’t really tired. I have the energy and we did it. My mindset was just to go for it and enjoy,” said Tio, who is here with his entire family.

“We had high hopes on Christian even before we got here,” said chef-de-mission Jonne Go.

Tio had been competing and winning races locally and overseas the past few years but spent four weeks training in the Dominican Republic before heading here ahead of the rest of the Philippine delegation, which resumes its medal hunt Monday.

Archer Nicole Tagle, who made it to the quarterfinals of the mixed international event, competes at 2 p.m. (1 a.m. Tuesday in Manila) in the women’s recurve individual 1/16 against Great Britain’s Alyssia Tromans-Ansell.

Golfers Yuka Saso and Carl Jano Corpus see action in the final round of the team event, where they are 13 strokes off the leaders. They are tied with the Netherlands and Spain at 141. Thailand is on top at 128 followed by Italy at 129 and the US at 132.

Tagle and her partner from Estonia, Hendrik Oun, ranked No. 13, pulled off a stunning 5-3 win over fourth seed Tromans-Ansell and Reza Shabani of Iran but fell short against No. 5 Rebecca Jones of New Zealand and Chihchun Tang of Taipei, 5-1, in the quarterfinals.

While there was silent jubilation within the Philippine delegation, there was mourning elsewhere around the YOG following the unexpected death of IOC member and FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann.