Pinoy athletes taper off on eve of Games

BEIJING – After going through all the training and pressure of winning, it’s time to calm down.

This was the message of Philippine chef de mission Monico Puentevella as he gave the 15-man Philippine delegation his last words of encouragement going into tomorrow’s start of the Beijing Olympic competitions in various venues here and in Hongkong and four satellite venues outside the capital.

“It’s time to control their nerves, get them to relax for the competitions,” said Puentevella even as athletes and coaches started downplaying their chances in contrast to their positive outlook before their departure from Manila Tuesday.

While Southeast Asian Games quadruple gold medallist Miguel Molina (200m individual medley and 200m backstroke) remains upbeat in what could be his final Olympic stint, Fil-Americans Daniel Coakley and Ryan Arabejo express guarded optimism.

“I’ve used all my potentials to qualify and hopefully I’ll succeed in the future,” said the 18-year-old Coakley, who is competing in the 50-m freestyle.

“My objective is to be first in the middle of the pack,” said Ryan Arabejo, who will compete in the 1,500 meter freestyle.

Chinese coach Zhang Deju also finally broke his silence when asked about the chances of Southeast Asian Games diving champions Sheila Mae Perez and Ryan Rexel Fabriga.

“The coach said they did not make any improvements during training,” said Julian Camacho, who served as interpreter for the former Chinese diving champion who trained Perez for nine years and Fabriga for eight years.

“They were not taking their training seriously after they qualified in Beijing for the Olympics,” Camacho quoted Zhang as saying.

Zhang also said Fabriga had increased weight, which is a big disadvantage in his event, the 10m platform diving.

Long jumper Henry Dagmil, however, remained optimistic of a good showing in his event in athletics.

“I’ll try to beat my best personal jump of 8.0 meters in the US trials last June,” said Dagmil, who could reach the final if he matches the qualifying standard of 8.20 or if he lands in the top 16 after the Group B preliminaries.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who gained a wild card in the women’s 58kg category, is also not expecting much although she had improved her qualifying lift of 188 kilos when she lifted 200 kilos in her training in China. The winning lift 251 kilos by Athens Olympics and Doha Asian Games gold medallist bet Chen Yanquing.

Puentevella said Diaz, 17, is homesick and will be allowed to return to her native Zamboanga after the Olympics. She will be given a chance to continue her training in China for the 2012 London Olympics.

“She has the proper height (5-2) and she is young, She’ll get a good chance in London,” said her coach Ramon Solis, at his prime acclaimed the strongest man in Southeast Asia in the late 80s.