Mikee rides to fame on Asiad turf

MANILA, Philippines - Magical. That’s how equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski described her amazing feat in the 2002 Busan Asian Games where she captured the gold medal, the country’s first equestrian gold in the Games.

“It’s a great feeling and it makes me smile just remembering the moment, it was really magical,” said Cojuangco-Jaworski.

“I remember everything that happened, the national anthem being played, the hand shakes, the photo ops, everything. It was an unforgettable experience,” she said.

Cojuangco-Jaworski, then 28, stunned a highly competitive field led by a number of world-class riders, when she won the individual showjumping gold on board Rustic Rouge in a jumpoff with Korean Jin Kyung Lee.

Her feat gave the Philippines its third gold medal to drastically change the overall performance of the Filipinos barely two hours before the closing ceremonies.

And as she rode waving a huge Philippine flag in a victory ride around the course, the sight was like balm that eased the pain of the basketball fiasco.

She was actually fighting back tears then as she stood on the podium and as the national anthem was being played for the third time during the Games.

Her feat actually capped a solid performance by the Filipinos as they went home with a three-gold, seven-silver and 16-bronze medal haul including victories by the duo of Paeng Nepomuceno and RJ Bautista in bowling’s men’s doubles and the pair of Django Bustamante and Antonio Lining in 9-ball doubles in billiards.

Most importantly, that gold came just a day after the all-pro Phl basketball team took a shocking defeat at the hands of the sharp-shooting Koreans, who went on to hammer down the fancied China in the gold medal match.