Gymnast Carlos “Caloy” Yulo, rower Joanie Delgaco, and boxer Aira Villegas keep their Olympics dreams alive as they move on to the next round of their respective events.
Our country’s centennial Olympic team kicked off its campaign in the Paris Olympics 2024 Summer Games on Saturday, July 27. The 22-member-strong Team Philippines is representing the country in nine events: athletics, boxing, fencing, gymnastics, golf, judo, rowing, swimming, and weightlifting.
We are already on the third day of the games, and some of the members of our contingent have already competed. Our troika of gymnasts— Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar—have bowed out. Despite missing the cutoff for the event finals in the women’s artistic gymnastics, the three talented ladies will always be remembered as the ones who have broken the country’s six decade lull in the event.
Fencer Samantha Catantan also failed to deliver an upset versus former world champion and top seed Arianna Errigo of Italy. Still, she made history as the first female Filipino fencer to qualify for the Olympics after ruling the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in April.
Keeping our hopes alive are superstar gymnast Carlos “Caloy” Yulo, who advanced to the all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals following the conclusion of the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification at the Bercy Arena on Saturday, July 27 (Sunday, July 28, Manila time). Let’s cheer him on as he returns to action in the all-around final on Wednesday, July 31. The floor exercise and vault finals are scheduled on August 3 and 4, respectively.
Then there’s Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco who also earned her spot in the next round by topping the repechage to keep her Paris Olympics campaign going. She will see action again in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, July 30.
Filipina boxer Aira Villegas‘ journey is also still far from over after claiming a unanimous decision win over Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki in their women’s 50kg round of 32 bout on Sunday, July 28 (Monday, July 29, Manila time), an impressive feat given that this is her Olympics debut. With this win, she has set a round of 16 clash with second seed Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria on Thursday, August 1 (Friday, August 2, Manila time).
Here is the schedule of the other athletes who have yet to see action, including world number 2 pole vaulter and medal favorite EJ Obiena.
EJ Obiena, athletics (pole vault)
- August 3, Saturday – men’s qualification
- August 6, Tuesday – men’s final
John Cabang Tolentino, athletics (110m hurdles)
- August 4, Sunday – heats round 1
- August 6, Tuesday – repechage round
- August 9, Thursday – semifinal
- August 9, Friday – final
Lauren Hoffman, athletics (400m hurdles)
- August 4, Sunday – heats round 1
- August 5, Monday – repechage round
- August 7 Wednesday – semifinals
- August 9 Friday – final
Hergie Bacyadan, boxing (women’s 75kg)
- July 31, Wednesday – round of 16
- August 4, Sunday – quarterfinals
- August 9, Friday – semifinals
- August 11, Sunday – final
Eumir Marcial, boxing (men’s 80kg)
- July 31, Wednesday – round of 16
- August 3, Saturday – quarterfinals
- August 4, Sunday – semifinals
- August 8, Thursday – final
Carlo Paalam, boxing (men’s 57kg)
- July 31, Wednesday – round of 16
- August 3, Saturday – quarterfinals
- August 9, Friday – semifinals
- August 11, Sunday – final
Nesthy Petecio, boxing (women’s 57kg)
- July 30, Tuesday – round of 32
- August 3, Saturday – round of 16
- August 4, Sunday – quarterfinals
- August 8, Thursday – semifinals
- August 11, Saturday – final
Dottie Ardina, Bianca Pagdanganan, golf
- August 7, Wednesday – round 1
- August 8, Thursday – round 2
- August 9, Friday – round 3
- August 10, Saturday – round 4 – medal
Kiyomi Watanabe, judo (women’s -63kg)
- July 30, Tuesday – elimination round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinal, repechage, semifinal, bronze medal match, gold medal match
Kayla Sanchez, swimming (women’s 100m freestyle)
- July 30, Tuesday – heats
- July 31, Wednesday – semifinals
- August 1, Thursday – final
Jarod Hatch, swimming (men’s 100m butterfly)
- August 2, Friday – heats
- August 3, Saturday – semifinals
- August 4, Sunday – final
John Ceniza, weightlifting (men’s 61kg)
- August 7, Wednesday – medal round/final
Elreen Ando, weightlifting (women’s 59kg)
- August 8, Thursday- medal round/final
Vanessa Sarno, weightliftng (women’s 71kg)
- August 10, Saturday – medal round/final