The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the Olympiad, was the first international Olympic games held in Athens, Greece from April 6 to 15, 1896. The Philippines first competed in the Summer Olympic Games in 1924 in Paris as the first country to compete in Southeast Asia. The Philippines first participated at the Winter Olympic Games in 1972. To this day, we have not one any gold medal. We have one three silver medals and seven bronze medals.
Our silver medalists are Anthony VIllanueva (Boxing 1964 Men’s Featherweight), Mansueto Velasco (Boxing 1996 Men’s Light Flyweight, and Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting 2016 Women’s 53kg).
Our bronze medalists are Teofilo Yldefonso (Swimming 1928 and 1932 Men’s Breaststroke 200m), Simeon Toribio (Athletics 1932 Men;s High Jump), Jose Villanueva (Boxing 2932, Men’s Bantamweight), Miguel White (Athletics 1936, Men’s Hurdle 400m), Leopoldo Serantes (Boxing 1938, Men’s Light Flyweight), and Roel Velasco (Boxing 1992, Men’s Light Flyweight).
Todays, the whole country is praying for more medals and our first gold. Nineteen Filipinos will participate in eleven events.
Boxing:
CARLO PAALAM (Men’s Flyweight)
EUMIR MARCIAL (Men’s Middleweight)
NESTHY PETECIO (Women’s Featherweight)
IRISH MAGNO (Women’s Flyweight)
Weightlifting:
ELREEN ANN ANDO (Women’s 54kg)
HIDILYN DIAZ (Women’s 55kg)
Athletics:
KRISTINA MARIE KNOTT (Women’s 200m)
ERNEST JOHN OBIENA (Men’s Pole Vault)
Golf:
Swimming:
LUKE GEBBIE (Men’s Freestyle 50m/100m)
REMEDY ALEXIS RULE (Women’s Butterfly 100m/200m)
Taekwondo:
Judo:
KIYOMI WATANABE (Women’s 63kg)
Rowing:
CRIS NIEVAREZ (Men’s Singles Sculls)
Skateboarding:
MARGIELYN DIDAL (Women’s Streets)
Shooting:
JAYSON VALDEZ (10m Air Rifle Men)
Artistic Gymnastics:
CARLOS EDRIEL YULO (Men’s All-Around, Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, and Horizontal Bars)
Citius, Altius, Fortius!!! Faster, Higher, Stronger!!! The Tokyo 2020 Olympics is a strong show of defiance, a bright light struggling to escape the darkness that has been cast across this planet by the pandemic. It is time to light the world and let the best among us compete in the Mt. Olympus!
These young Filipinos are so inspiring! They need our cheers and prayers!!! God be with you all!
Jocelle Batapa Sigue 