Gymnst Carlos Yulo, boxer Eumir Marcial and rower Joanie Delgaco immediately get a taste the world-class field as they kick off Team Philippines’ campaign on Saturday (July 27,2024), a day after the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the Seine River.
Twenty-two Filipino athletes have made it to the world’s biggest sporting conclave, each one with a story to tell and an Olympic dream to fulfill, led on opening day by medal shoo-ins Yulo and Marcial, together with rowing upstart Delgaco.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino expects returning Olympians Yulo and Marcial to kick-start a strong bid for a Philippine team hoping to match or surpass the historic first Olympic gold Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo won in Tokyo 2020 and the silvers of boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio.
“We’re looking forward to Caloy [Yulo], Eumir and Joanie giving the country that strong start in Paris,” said Tolentino, who will be flying to the French capital on Tuesday. “They’re all ready and inspired and in high spirits.”
The 23-year-old Yulo, who finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago in the vault competition, starts his bid to finally break into the Olympic medal column when he competes in the Gymnastics Artistic Individual All-Around, which begins at 9:30 p.m. (Philippine time), the finale of which happens four days later on Wednesday (July 31.)
A two-time world champion (2019 floor, 2021 vault), Yulo will be joined by three more gymnasts in the games in Fil-Ams Aleah Finnegan, Levi Jung-Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo.
On the other hand, the 28-year-old Marcial, will be competing in the light-heavyweight division after bringing home a middleweight bronze medal back in Tokyo.
The Zamboanga City native, who has a 5-0 record as a boxing pro, starts his bid, also on Saturday in the 80-kg division, which begins competitions, also at 9:30 p.m. (Philippine time)
In the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, Marcial earned a ticket to Paris after settling for the silver medal against hometown bet Tanglatihan Tuohetaerbieke.
Marcial is one of five boxers in the Paris games – the others being Petecio, Paalam, Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan — eyeing to bring home the Philippines’ first boxing gold medal in the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Delgaco tries to advance to the finals of the Women’s Single Sculls Heat at 3:00 p.m. (Philippine time).
Delgaco is the first Filipina to qualify for the Olympics in rowing after placing 4th in the Rowing Asian Oceanian Olympic Qualification in Chungju, South Korea. A native of Iriga, Camarines Sur, the 26-year-old is the fourth Filipino rower to reach the Olympics. Cris Nievarez participated in Tokyo 2020, ending a 20-year drought for the Philippines in rowing.
Tolentino has earlier declared confidence that the 22-athlete Team Philippines will deliver in Paris.
“This team, I believe, is the most prepared in Philippine Olympic history,” said Tolentino, who thanked the Philippine Sports Commission for its unrelenting support to the campaign that turned feverish with the first-ever pre-Olympic training camp in Metz, France.
“Our athletes have trained and prepared through a tried-and-tested template that guarantees an Olympic medal,” he added.
This year will mark the 100th year of participation by the Philippines in the Olympic Games, which will feature 10,714 athletes from 206 nations competing in 329 events from 32 sports.
