Olympians set to fly for month-long training in France

MANILA, Philippines – The trek to the Mount Olympus of sports — the Olympics — starts early Saturday when the bulk of the 15-strong Philippine team bound for the Paris Games leaves for Metz in France, where they would train for a month before finally plunging into action.

Tokyo Olympics silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam will spearhead the national delegation leaving the country early at the break of dawn along with fellow pugs Hergie Bacyadan and Aira Villegas, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza and rower Joannie Delgaco.

Gymnast Carlos Yulo, who is here in the country, will fly to Metz next week.

The rest who are training abroad — pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo and Sam Catantan — will follow suit and join the main group.

Petecio vowed to give it all in pursuit of glory in the meet set July 26 to Aug. 11.

“Papalapit na po ang Paris Olympics, panibagong hamon sa aming mga atleta na lumikha ng kasaysayan na magpapasaya sa kapwa nating Pilipino at magbigay ng karangalan sa bayang Pilipinas,” said Petecio.

“Sa Kabila ng pagod, matinding paghahanda, sakripisyo at pagtitiis sa injury na nararamdaman namin bawat araw, tinitiis po namin ito para patunayan sa buong mundo na kaya natin iangat ang Pilipinas,” she added.

Obiena is currently in Poland where he still has an event to attend.

The World No. 2 and Asian champion will also join a Diamond League meet in Paris, which is over three hours by bus ride to Metz, and should just go straight to the Filipinos’ training area for acclimatization.

Catantan, who has a training camp in Venice, Italy, is also expected to fly to Metz soon to rendezvous with her countrymen.

Same with the troika of Finnegan, Ruivivar and Malabuyo, who would all follow suit from the United States.

That Metz camp will serve as the final preparation for the quadrennial event where the Filipinos will try to duplicate, if not eclipse, the one-gold, two-silver, one-bronze haul in Tokyo.

And then it’s war.