Lopez bows to Thai, misses Olympic bid

MANILA, Philippines – Pauline Louise Lopez of the Philippines took a painful 5-2 loss against Thailand’s Phanappa Harnsujin last night and kissed her Rio Olympics hopes goodbye before a sympathetic crowd at the Marriott Grand Ballroom.

The 19-year-old Lopez, a gold medalist in the 2013 Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China, took a high kick to the top of her head in the final 23 seconds of the first round to trail 3-0, and never tasted the lead.

Lopez contested the hit because she said it landed at the top of the headgear and actually did not register with the electronic sensor. But after a review, the judges saw it otherwise.

“I thought it was not valid so I asked my coaches to put up the card. However, the referees did not see it that way,” said Lopez, who mightily tried but failed to regain lost ground.

The Thai, a veteran of last year’s World Championships, added another point on a penalty early in the third and final round before Lopez eventually gained two points, both of them on penalties, for a 4-2 count.

With the crowd chanting her name, Lopez went all out in the dying seconds of the semifinal match, hoping to land the winning kick. But her turning kick missed the Thai’s head by a few inches.

In the final exchange, Harnsujin scored once more to peg the final score, and advance to the finals of the -57 kg class against Iranian scoring machine Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin.

Lopez put up a brave face in the end, and took the loss with pride. She bowed her head before Filipino fans who had rooted for her from start to finish as she left the venue.

Before reporters later on, Lopez, who had to stay away from school for two years to pursue her Olympic dreams, tried very hard to fight back her tears.

“It just didn’t go my way. I think the term in Tagalog was naunahan niya ako (she jumped the gun on me),” said the attractive jin who’s based with her family in Los Angeles.

With her defeat, and that of Sam Morrison (-80 kg) and Kristopher Robert Uy (+80 kg) it means that Kirstie Elaine Alora (+67 kg) will be the only Philippine entry in the taekwondo competitions in Rio.

Lopez said the loss will not stop her from trying to make it to the Olympics.

“This is just a stepping stone to the next tournaments that I have. It will only ignite me to pursue the next Olympics,” said Lopez, who will be 23 by the time the 2020 Olympics are held in Tokyo.

Lopez wished Alora, who won the silver medal in her division the other day, all the best.

“She’s my roommate here. Last night, she was like, ‘Go do your best so I can have someone to go with to Rio.’ But it didn’t go my way. I will support her 100 percent. I know she can do it. The whole Philippines is behind her,” said Lopez.

Jins from 35 Asian countries came here seeking slots to the Rio Games.

Lopez advanced to the semis by beating Malaysia’s Nurul Farah Alisa Roslan in an action-packed but low-scoring contest, 4-2.

The Filipina entry entered the fight venue amid loud cheers, and did not disappoint the fans with the victory against an opponent she has never faced before.

It was a pretty even match between Lopez and Roslan, who stood very close in height and in heft.

After a scoreless first round, the Malaysian broke the ice when Lopez was penalized a point for being forced out of the octagon twice. But in a matter of seconds, the Filipina took the lead at 2-1 with a kick and a penalty for grabbing.

Lopez, egged on by the crowd, delivered two more points in the third and final round and was safely ahead at 4-1 with just 20 seconds left. Roslan scored her last point in the closing seconds.

She just fell short in the end.