In the 1932 Los Angeles Games, three Filipinos were able to finish the competition on the podium with bronze medals, swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, boxer Jose Villanueva, and high jumper Simeon Toribio.
89 years later, the Philippines is now under the spotlight to set a new record as 4 of the country’s athletes have bagged more medals for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Philippines’ Medal Holders:
Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting)
Hidilyn Diaz won her first gold medal for the Philippines in the women’s 55-kilogram weightlifting event at the Tokyo Olympics on July 26. Diaz’s victory brings the country’s 97-year Olympic gold medal drought to an end.
Nesthy Petecio (Boxing)
Following Diaz’s stunning triumph, Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio wins a silver medal for the Philippines after losing in the last round of the women’s featherweight category against hometown favorite Sena Irie of Japan on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.
Irie used an excellent clinch game to limit Petecio’s attack in the opening round, and Petecio failed to connect. All five judges voted in favor of the Japanese boxer, giving her a score of 10-9.
With Petecio’s latest feat, she was also able to equal what Onyok Velasco, the last Filipino Olympic boxing medallist, did in the 1996 Atlanta Games when he earned a silver medal.
Eumir Marcial (Boxing)
At the men’s middleweight quarterfinals on August 1, Eumir Marcial stunned Armenian Arman Darchinyan with a spectacular KO, punching his way to the bronze medal match.
On August 5, Marcial will compete for the bronze medal against Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine.
Carlo Paalam (Boxing)
Carlo Paalam is assured of at least a bronze medal after he defeated the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan.
Paalam defeated Zoirov in a men’s flyweight quarterfinal by a 4-1 split decision, with the referee stopping the fight at the 1:44 mark of the second round.
On Thursday, August 5, 2021, Paalam will fight Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in the semifinal for the bronze medal.
The Philippines may still have a chance to win additional medals in the following days, as PH delegates Bianca Pagdanganan, Yuka Saso, Carlo Paalam, Ernest John Obiena, are still scheduled to compete in their respective events.
Photo Credit: Julius Irvin Hikaru T. Naranjo | Facebook, Eumir Marcial | Twitter, Tokyo 2020 | Twitter
