All about wildcards

Since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened the doors of the quadrennial Summer Games to wildcard entries in 1996, the Philippines has been accommodated with only four invitees – three shooters and an archer.

It’s not easy to land a wildcard berth, now known as an “invitation place.” A tripartite commission composed of representatives from the IOC, the governing International Federation (IF) and the applying National Olympic Committee (NOC) decides whom to bless.

 The process begins with the NOC submitting the application or bid. The IOC determines how many slots are available and in which sport then evaluates the Olympic history and economic standing of the applying NOC. Finally, the ISF is consulted on whether the applicant is suited to compete – in other words, if he or she will be embarrassed or not.

POC deputy secretary-general Mark Joseph said for Beijing, four National Sports Associations (NSAs) applied for invitation places through the POC – rowing, archery, shooting and judo.

The Philippines is one of the IOC’s 205 member countries. According to Joseph, there are only 104 invitation places in about 14 of the 26 Olympic sports. The POC will likely pick up at least one wildcard entry for Beijing. The invitation places will be awarded in June or July.

Wildcard entries are distinct from the mandatory slots allocated for each country in swimming and athletics.

Under IOC rules, the tripartite commission prioritizes underprivileged countries with six or less qualified athletes for wildcard entries. However, invitation places are given only to athletes with the required technical standards to compete in the Olympics, meaning they should have at least gone through some kind of elimination at the NOC level.

Former POC president Celso Dayrit said wildcard entries shouldn’t be considered “second-class” athletes because gaining an invitation place involves a thorough search process where applicants are evaluated with a fine tooth comb.

The rule on six or less qualified athletes isn’t hard and fast because if it may be offset by other considerations such as an applicant with relatively high technical standards.

The country’s four wildcard entries so far have been George Earnshaw (1996), Jasmin Luis (2000), Jasmine Figueroa (2004) and Jethro Dionisio (2004).

In a recent report, Amparo (Weena) Lim was incorrectly named as a wildcard entry for badminton in 1996.

“I qualified the honest-to-goodness way,” said Lim. “I had to go through a series of tournaments to get enough ranking points. I was the 41st and last ladies qualifier for that year. Though my performance was dismal, my only consolation is that I made it to the Olympics not through the courtesy of other people but because I worked hard.”

Earnshaw competed in the men’s trap event in Atlanta and compiled 113 points to finish 56th of 58. He was one of 12 Filipinos in the Olympic delegation. The others were Elma Muros and Roy Vence of athletics, Lim of badminton, Romeo Brin, Reynaldo Galido, Elias Recaido, Onyok Velasco and Virgilio  Vicera of boxing, Denise Cojuangco of equestrian and Raymond Papa and Akiko Thomson of swimming.

Luis saw action in the air rifle event in Sydney and wound up 44th of 49. There were 20 Filipinos in the delegation, namely, Jennifer Chan of archery, Eduardo Buenvista and Lerma Bulauitan of athletics, Brin, Arlan Lerio, Danilo Lerio and Larry Semillano of boxing, Zardo Domenios and Sheila Mae Perez of diving, Toni Leviste of equestrian, Benjamin Tolentino of rowing, Luis of shooting, Liza Danila, Jenny Guerrero, Miguel Mendoza and Juan Carlo Piccio of swimming and Roberto Cruz, Eva Marie Ditan, Donnie Geisler and Jasmin Strachan of  taekwondo.

In Athens, Figueroa proved her worth by eliminating former world champion and two-time Olympic medalist Natalia Valeeva of Italy in the first round of the women’s individual archery event. She advanced to the round of 32 and eventually placed 27th. Dionisio ended up 32nd of 35 in the individual trap event.

The Philippine delegation in Athens was made up of 16 athletes – Figueroa of archery, Buenavista and Lerma Gabito of athletics, Brin, Chris Camat, Violito Payla and Harry Tañamor of boxing, Dionisio of shooting, Timmy Chua, Mendoza, Miguel Molina, J. B. Walsh and Jackie Pangilinan of swimming and Geisler, Tshomlee Go and Toni Rivero of taekwondo.