Golden age

Before Team Philippines plunged into action in Paris, this column assessed their medal chances. Not because it sees the future, but because it has seen the past. No one can tell the future, except seers who cannot guess winning lottery numbers. No one even saw the crowned virus coming.

Expectation maybe. Or educated guess. But not foregone conclusion. Even if it’s Mondo Duplantis or Simone Biles. Although these out of this world athletes did not disappoint the world.

Boxing lived up to expectation, even without gold. Aira Villegas slugged to bronze in her inaugural foray to Olympic glory. Nesthy Petecio rewrote herstory. The first Filipina boxing medalist is now the first Filipino boxer to win two Olympic medals, man or woman, definitely without reference to trans man boxer Hergie Bacyadan against whom some Filipinos perfected the art of vilification. By taunting their own.

Heavily favored Carlo Paalam lost in the quarterfinals. Eumir Marcial was most disappointed. The battle scarred fighter wept after he was swept in the first round, contemplated what could have been had he stuck to his professional career. Money or glory.

EJ Obiena was seen to at least vault to bronze. Or silver. Forget about the gold, no one can supplant Duplantis just yet. EJ failed to clear the height lower than his personal best and landed fourth. So near yet so far, his 11th rank in Tokyo placed him way out of the podium, but fourth is just a heart beat away. Almost is not most.

Heartbroken for what could have been, he cracked and apologized to his countrymen. No need, many others should apologize to the Filipino people, especially those who betrayed public trust. The public too, who interchanged trust and betrayal. Definitely not Obiena, whose only fault was to jump lower than three others on the day of reckoning.

As expected, none of the hurdlers and swimmers qualified to the finals. At least Kayla Sanchez swam to the semis, improved her personal best and rewrote national record. Fencer Samantha Catantan and rower Joanie Delgaco surprised with some damage, neither strong enough to medal nor too weak to not threaten their continental and regional foes.

Unlike Obiena who jumped to a make or break height, Carlos Yulo had three chances to medal, converted two of three and the rest is histwory. Aside from the bright medal prospects, this column predicted an athlete or two from a different discipline might surprise. Again, almost. Bianca Pagdanganan finished fourth despite not knowing what to wear.

This vague or safe forecast aside, Team Philippines delivered its best Olympic performance in Paris, the same place where Philippine campaign started a century before. The 2 gold, 2 bronze medal haul ranked the Philippines 37th among 206 countries, 7th in Asia and number 1 in Southeast Asia. But victory today is one thing, continuity is another. Otherwise, the country should just thank a Carlos Yulo was born to a mother who stole his thunder.