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Javier yields to Taiwanese archer |
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Source : Staff
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Thursday, 14 August 2008 22:52 |
 BEIJING—Like shooter Eric Ang, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and swimmer JB Walsh, archer Mark Javier succumbed to the world-class opposition, yielding to young Taipei deadshot Kuo Cheng Wei, 102-106, in the men’s 70-meter archery competitions of the 29th Olympic Games here.
With the score tied at 86-all after 10 arrows, the Taiwanese fired two bull’s-eyes in the 11th and 12th arrows worth 10 points each to eliminate Javier, who had a pair of 8s in the same stretch.
For a while, Javier, a Dumaguete City native, had the Taiwanese’s number as he took a 50-49 lead after six arrows. The 24-year-old Kuo slumped to a poor 5 on his sixth arrow, while Javier made a nine.
But the Taiwanese regained his touch, registering 9, 9 and 10 in the third frame as against the 9-8-10 of the Filipino for a 77-all count heading into the final three arrows. Javier’s only perfect score came in the ninth arrow, preventing Kuo, who clinched for Taiwan the team title and for himself the individual crown in the 2007 World Cup at the Dominican Republic, from pulling away.
Javier failed to do a Jasmine Figueroa, also a wildcard entry during the last Olympics in Athens. After placing 56th in the women’s individual ranking, Figueroa defeated ninth-seed Natalia Valeeva of Italy in the first round, 132-130, to advance into the Round of 32, where she lost to 24th seed Almudena Gallardo of Spain by a whisker, 150-152, to earn 27th place and the respect of her opponents.
Nothing of that sort happened to Javier, who will cherish his Olympic campaign despite the ugly result.
“It’s an experience like no other. Kahit natalo ako, pinakaiba ito. ’Yung ibang tournaments ko, hindi ganito. Kakaiba ang feeling sa Olympics. Dito, palakasan ng loob, ngayon ko lang naranasan ang ganito kadaming audience,” said Javier.
Even Fil-Canadian archer Crispin Dueñas failed to advance to the Round of 32, but not without a fight. He engaged Atlanta Olympics silver medalist Magnus Petersson in a shoot-off and lost by a hair, 18-19, after ending up locked at 108 in the Round of 64.
On Tuesday night, Miguel Molina failed to shatter his own national record as he finished sixth in a field of seven in the second heat of the men’s 200-meter breaststroke.
The 24-year-old Molina, the 2007 Korat Southeast Asian Games’ best male athlete with four gold medals, clocked 2 minutes and 16.94 seconds, still off the Philippine mark of 2:16.62 he set while winning the event in the SEA Games which Manila hosted in 2005. He eventually placed 46th among a field of 52 swimmers.
Meanwhile, Daniel Coakley hopes his genes will help him continue a tradition of winning when he swims in the ninth heat in the men’s 50-meter freestyle at 6:49 p.m. today at the Water Cube.
Coakley is a great grandson of the late swimming great Teofilo Yldefonso, who gave the Philippines two of its seven bronze medals so far during the 1928 and 1932 Olympics.
“He has a strong commitment to give his best for the country. He loves to race and compete. So we will see him do well,” said swimming president Mark Joseph. “The competitions will energize him. Hindi marunong umatras ang bata.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 August 2008 23:06 )
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