Marestella Torres claims she hurt hip after awkward landing in long jump warmups

RIO DE JANEIRO — Marestella Torres-Sunang said she hurt her left hip during warm-ups and she ended up jumping a little too cautious in the competition proper of the women’s long jump in the Olympics on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

“Hindi ako maka-atake ng husto. Pinipigilan ko kasi kapag binibilisan ko ‘yung takbo ko, may sumasakit,” said Torres-Sunang.

The three-time Olympian failed to reach the finals after coming up with a disappointing 6.22 on her first attempt and even shorter leaps in the next two.

Just last month, Sunang jumped 6.72 to qualify for Rio and a few months back won the national open with a 6.6 leap.

Her 6.22 put her in 14th spot in Group B.

It was sadly a repeat of her London stint, where the best she could do was also 6.22 after earlier registering 6.71 to win gold in the Southeast Asian Games.

Torres said she landed awkwardly during the warm-up, hitting the same spot a competitor from Great Britain also landed into.

“Dun ako na-shoot dun sa tinalunan nung sinundan ko. Sumakit ’yung hips ko,” said Torres-Sunang.

Sunang noted a spot in the finals was achievable, with the last spot in the finals claimed by Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers with a 6.53-m leap.

“Sayang kasi kung makikita mo ’yung result talaga, kung makuha ko lang ’yung 6.40, 6.50, mababa rin halos lahat,” said Torres-Sunang.

Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

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‘Diesel’ Marestella seeks Olympic atonement

photo (c) Philippine Star

RIO DE JANEIRO—Marestella Torres-Sunang compares herself to a diesel engine during competitions. She attains power to the max after a sufficient warmup.

The three-time Olympian attempts to atone for her below-par performances in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 when she vies in the long jump event of athletics, which fires off on Aug. 12 at the iconic Maracana Stadium here.

“I have a problem with warmups because entries constantly fight for space,” the mother of a two-year-old son said in Filipino. “It takes sometime for me to get good jumps. I’ll try to practice in the warmup runway outside the stadium.”

Sunang said she’ll use her vast experience this time in order to do better against a 32-strong field bristling with more than a dozen reigning and former world and continental champions.
“Now I know how to compete,” said the 35-year-old from San Jose, Negros Oriental. “I’m more inspired now because of Eliamar Matvie (her child).”

Source: Ted Melendres of Inquirer Sports

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Torres-Sunang qualifies for third Olympics after record jump

MANILA, Philippines - Word filtered slowly but surely Tuesday morning and it was sigh of relief when long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang's performance that bagged the Kazakhstan Open for her and made the cut-off for the Rio Olympics was within the allowable wind limits by the international athletics body.

"It's 0.8 meters per second," said Philip Juico, president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) in a phone interview with Rappler.com. "She qualifies."

This will be the third consecutive Olympic stint for the 35-year-old Sunang, who participated in the 2008 and 2012 Games.

There was much suspense about the wind gauge during Sunang's last jump that enabled her to win the event on Monday night. A reading of higher than 2 meters for second would invalidate the jump.

Not only did Sunang crack her own national mark by one centimeter with her 6.72 meter leap that won the Kazakhstan Open, her third straight victory in 3 competitions in Kryrgyzstan and Kazakhstan but it boosted her status as the country's top track and field athlete.

Thought to have peaked after jumping 6.60 meters in winning the national open last April at the Philsports Arena, Sunang gathered her resources for one last run at her Philippine record of 6.71 meters, which she achieved in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, her fourth consecutive long jump title.

"She had the support she needed," said Juico, who said that Sunang is now 28th in the world in the long jump. "We never lost faith in her even when it took her around two years to recover after giving birth in 2014."

Sunang and her coach Joebert Delicano will be arriving tonight, said Juico.

The IAAF still has to notify the Philippines officially that Sunang is in.Athletics will now be the largest contingent of Philippine representatives at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, with hurdler Eric Cray and marathon runner Mary Joy Tabal. – Rappler.com

Source: Ignacio Dee  of Rappler.com

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Patafa’s Rio dilemma

Cebu running queen Mary Joy Tabal made the grade for a slot to the 2016 Rio Olympics after placing eighth in the women’s category of the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon yesterday in the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

Informed about Tabal’s success, Patafa chief Philip Juico wasn’t too thrilled.

“She resigned from the Patafa last year,” said Juico when contacted yesterday.

For Tabal to be taken back into the fold, Juico said that the 26-year-old runner would have to reapply to the Patafa first.

But that’s not all.

Juico said Tabal’s feat complicated matters on the Philippines’ qualified entries to the Aug. 5 to 21 Rio Games as the Patafa has already been informed that long jump queen Marestella Torres has been awarded a wild card berth.

“The thing is that Marestella will get that slot if no other female bet from the Philippines will qualify,” said Juico.

“I will have to consult with the Patafa coaches and even the IAAF,” said Juico.

Tabal, the 2015 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, clocked 2:43.30 seconds for 39th overall, needing only to submit 2:45.00 to earn an Olympic ticket.

Tabal’s trip to Canada was bankrolled by a private group: Motor Ace Racing Philippines/Kawasaki.

Before traveling to Canada, Tabal, a resident of Barangay Guba in Cebu City, spent two weeks of training camp in Japan.

Juico, meanwhile, is a bit concerned with the impending public reaction about Tabal should the Patafa raise the issue of Tabal not being a member of the national team.

“I am afraid that this issue might even reach (incoming President) Rodrigo Duterte,” said Juico.

Juico clarified that Tabal was not kicked out of the national team but voluntarily resigned.

“We had plans for her but she wanted to do it her way,” said Juico.

Source: Nick Giongco of Tempo Sports

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Torres eyes third straight Olympic stint at Asian tilt

Marestella Torres gets the chance to qualify for her third successive Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when she competes in the 19th Asian Masters Athletics Championships on May 4 to 9 in Singapore.

The former Asian long jump queen and current Southeast Asian Games record holder hopes to reach her performance peak a week before the continental qualifier, according to Philippine Masters Athletics Association coordinator Paul Ycasas.

Torres turned 35 last Feb. 20 and is eligible to join the Masters, an IAAF-sanctioned tournament for former national athletes.

“Marestella’s performance here will be official since the Asian Masters is sanctioned by the IAAF,” said Ycasas.

Torres, who also saw action in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, will qualify for Rio de Janeiro if she tops the Olympic qualifying standard of 6.70 meters in Singapore’s National Stadium.

Her previous results weren’t encouraging, though, for a jumper who boasts a Philippine-best 6.71m which she set in 2011.

Slowed by motherhood, she registered 6.41m in last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Singapore and settled for the bronze medal.

Torres missed serious competition in the recent Philippine National Games in Lingayen, Pangasinan, and leaped 6.13m.

Torres will spearhead the PH campaign in the Asian Masters along with former SEA Games gold medalists Arneil Ferrera (throwing events), Jobert Delicano (long jump), Rene Herrera (3,000m steeplechase) and Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito (100m, 200m and long jump).

Source: June Navarro of Inquirer.net

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