Colonia fans record binge

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  – Nestor Colonia picked up from where fellow Olympic hopeful and Zamboanga pride Hidilyn Diaz left off, breaking four weightlifting records and pulling off a rare double bodyweight lift in the POC-PSC National Games here yesterday.

Competing in the 56 kgs category, the 19-year-old Colonia lifted a backbreaking 116 kgs in snatch – a good six kilos heavier than the previous standards (110kgs) in the men’s open and juniors (18-20 age group) divisions that he himself set at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Aside from concurrently setting new Phl juniors marks in clean and jerk (135 kgs) and total lift (251 kgs), Colonia likewise earned the distinction of being only the second Filipino to make a double bodyweight lift. First was Sammy Aligada, who raised 115 kgs at the 1990 Asian Games while competing in the old bantamweight class of 52-56 kgs.

National tracksters Rene Herrera (men’s 5,000m run, 14:51.40) and Narcisa Atienza (women’s heptathlon, 5,249 points) picked up their second gold medals at the end of track and field, as did comebacking Jho-An Banayag who bested the rest in women’s 5,000m (17:49.88).

In billiards, pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes followed reigning world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo to the exit, bowing to veteran Ramil Gallego after falling into a spate of uncharacteristic miscues, 7-9, in the men’s 9-ball singles quarterfinals.

The top seed in the distaff side, Rubilen Amit, played true to form in a 9-4 rout of 11-year-old Cheska Centeno of Zamboanga in the winner’s bracket semis for an outright finals slot.

Despite an injured left ankle, Colonia immediately went on record-breaking mode when he bettered the old 110-kg by two kilos right on his first attempt in snatch. He added four kilos on his second try and made a good lift, but failed to hoist 120 kgs on his third and last trip.

Colonia said he was also looking to break the men’s open jerk mark of 142 kgs as well, but the ankle that he hurt 10 days ago in practice virtually prevented him from going all out to settle for a best try of 135 kgs. Just the same, the effort was good to erase the standing junior mark of 122.5 kgs.

“Mas maganda siguro kung hindi ako injured. Sumasakit kasi ankle ko sa jerk na mahirap i-recover (I could have set a new record in the jerk as well if my ankle wasn’t bothering me),” said Colonia, who will compete along with Diaz in the junior world championships in Penang, Malaysia next month and the Olympic-qualifying worlds in Paris in November.

Joining Colonia in the record-breaking club were Jeffrey Garcia (62-kg junior and secondary classes with a 105-kg effort in snatch) and Karl Louise Macharon (52-kg secondary category with 77-kg in snatch).

Bannered by Olympian Diaz’s six records on Day 1, the Phl weightlifters set 22 new national records in all – feats that will be rewarded, according to Philippine Weightlifting Association president Monico Puentevella.

“As in our previous tournaments, I’ll be handing out cash incentives for every record broken in these games out of my own pocket. I hope the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) will also reward the record breakers,” Puentevella said.

Reyes blew a 6-3 lead in his race-to-nine Last 8 duel with Gallego. “Di ko alam kung anong nangyari. Maraming bigay na tira pero puro sablay (I can’t explain how I missed those giveway shots),” said the 1999 world 9-ball champion.

In fencing, nationals also ruled the roost, led by Jamie Nicanor of University of the East, who won the women’s individual foil, individual epee, and women’s team sabre crowns.

Mary Rose Alfonso also of UE and Walbert Mendoza of Cafe Ysabel topped the individual and team sabre plays of the women’s and men’s divisions, respectively, while Almario Vizcayno of DLSU went two-for-two in men’s individual and team epee.