Two swimmers catch last bus to Tokyo via universality rule

A total of 19 athletes, at least seven of them having a good shot at a medal, will comprise the Team Philippines seeing action in the Olympics Games which is coming off the wraps 21 days from now in Tokyo after a delay of one year due to the pandemic.

Two more athletes in Filipino-American swimmers Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule caught the last bus to the Games thanks to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) universality rule as confirmed by the Philippine Swimming Incorporated, the country’s national governing body in aquatics.

The two tankers made it to the Games after tallying the highest number of FINA points in the country, with Rule recording 830 FINA points and Gebbie 828.

Rule will compete in the women’s 200 meter butterfly and the 200-m freestyle while Gebbie tries his luck in the men’s 100m and 50-m freestyle, with both of them having veery slim chance of going deep in the eliminations given the world-class opposition.

Among them, gymnast Caloy Yulo, weighlifter and Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, boxers Eumir Marcial , Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and US Open Women’s golf champion Yuka Saso have been given solid chances of contending for a medal of any color.

The rest–golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsann, rower Cris Nievarez, shooter Jayson Valdez, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, taekwondo jin Kirt Barbosa, weighlifter Elreen Ando, sprinter Kristina Knott and skateboarder Margielyn Didal–may find the going too tough in their respective events where it’s littered with the biggest names in sports.

Philippine sports officials are confident the long wait for the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal may finally come to an end this year in Tokyo, given the world class talents of Yulo, Obiena, Saso, Marcial, Petecio, Diaz and Magno, who have each dazzled in the world stage.

The last to leave her mark in international stage is Saso, who became the first Filipino golfer to ever win a major championship when she ruled the US Open via a playoff less than a month ago in San Francisco. In Japan where she’s competing most of the year, she had won a couple of big titles.

“In three weeks, the urn in Tokyo will be burning and Team Philippines—from the athletes and coaches down to the secretariat are ready for action,” Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday.

Chef de Mission Mariano Araneta will lead a first batch of officials which will be flying to Tokyo via Narita Airport on July 15 and will head directly to Conrad Hotel, Team Philippines’ official home during the July 23 to August 28 games.

Joining Araneta are team doctor Randy Molo, POC general manager and Secondary Olympic Attache Dinah Remolacio, Covid-19 Covid-19 Liaison Officer (CLO) chief Atty. Billy Sumagui, Games Management Officer and Secondary CLO Martin Gregorio and Protocol Officer and Secondary Activity Monitoring Officer Jarryd Bello.

“The POC and the Philippine Sports Commission [PSC] secured the Conrad Hotel just in time and we’re glad that has been accomplished,” Tolentino said. “In terms of administrative and secretariat matters, we’re all settled.”

The PSC transferred on Thursday P11 million for the accommodation expense of Team Philippines from the total P48 million allocation for participation. The entire PSC budget for the Olympic campaign is pegged at P200 million.

The athletes will also arrive in Tokyo in batches depending upon their competition schedule.