Hidilyn to make history
When Hidilyn Diaz steps on the stage to compete in women’s 55 kilogram weightlifting at the coming Tokyo Olympics, she will make history as the first and only Filipina to perform in four Summer Games. She’ll be one short of equaling Filipino shooter Martin Gison’s record of five Olympic appearances.
Gison represented the country at the 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1964 Olympics. In Berlin, he took fourth place in the small bore .22 rimfire rifle prone event, scoring 296 points, four behind gold medalist Willy Rogeberg of Norway. Gison was tied with five others for second and eventually slid to fourth. A 1954 Asian Games gold medalist in 25-meter rapid fire pistol, he went on to compete in four more Olympics but never again came close to snatching a medal. During World War II, he was imprisoned by the Japanese forces and survived the Bataan Death March. Gison is among 521 athletes with at least five Olympic stints from Athens in 1896 to Pyeongchang in 2018. Most of the five-timers came from shooting, equestrian, athletics, sailing and cross-country skiing.
Another shooter Cesar Jayme is in the record books as the first and only Filipino to participate in four Olympics – in 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960. He competed in his favorite event, the 50-meter small bore rifle. Despite his multiple appearances, he could only finish as high as 15th of 58 shooters with 397 points in 1952.
In Olympic history, the record-holder for most Olympic appearances is Canadian rider Ian Millar whose 10th and final appearance in equestrian was at the age of 65 at the 2012 London Games. The youngest female to compete in the Olympics was Italian gymnast Luigina Giavotti who was 11 years, 301 days old at the 1928 Games. The youngest to wear the Philippine colors was swimmer Gertrudes Lozada, nicknamed the “Baby” of the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. She was 13 years, 280 days old when the Games began on June 10, 1956. The Olympic records note that in 1956, the youngest participant was Belgian rower Jos Van Thillo who was 13 years, 338 days old. This has to be rectified to ensure Lozada’s place in Olympic history.
To qualify for the Olympics is an accomplishment. To make it to two Olympics is a feat. To book a third ticket is a grand slam. To appear in four Olympics is a major achievement. And to mark a fifth appearance, like Gison did, is a crowning glory for a Filipino athlete.
At the moment, Diaz is one of 16 three-time Philippine Olympians. She will join Jayme as four-time Olympians in Tokyo. The 15 other three-timers are high jumper Simeon Toribio (1928, 1932, 1936), basketball players Ramoncito Campos (1948, 1952, 1956) and Ed Ocampo (1960, 1968, 1972), discus thrower Josephine de la Vina (1964, 1968, 1972), sprinter Rogelio Onofre (1960, 1964, 1968), swimmers Teofilo Yldefonso (1928, 1932, 1936), Akiko Thomson (1988, 1992, 1996) and Amman Jalmaani (1964, 1968, 1972), boxer Romeo Brin (1996, 2000, 2004), shooters Chito Feliciano (1960, 1964, 1968) and Horacio Miranda (1960, 1964, 1968), weightlifters Rodrigo del Rosario (1948, 1952, 1956) and Salvador del Rosario (1968, 1972, 1976), long jumper Marestella Torres (2008, 2012, 2016) and sailor Mario Almario (1972, 1976, 1992). Ocampo would’ve been a four-timer if the Philippines qualified for the 1964 basketball competition in Tokyo. Ocampo was on the national team that played in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Yokohama two weeks before the start of the Tokyo Games. The Philippines failed to advance.
According to Thomson, Philippine Olympians Association president, there are 72 Filipino two-time Olympians, including basketball players Caloy Loyzaga, Tony Genato, Jun Papa, Narciso Bernardo, Jimmy Mariano and Antonio Martinez, swimmers Jikirum Adjuluddin, Chito Ayesa, Eric Buhain, Ral Rosario, Bana Sailani, Jessie Lacuna, Jasmine Alkhaldi, Miguel Molina and Miguel Mendoza, long jumper Elma Muros, sprinters Lydia de Vega and Mona Sulaiman, long distance runner Eduardo Buenavista and boxers Ernesto Porto, Roberto Jalnaiz and Harry Tanamor.
(From The Philippine Star)