Proudly showing the marks of having her first child last year, sprinter Eloisa Luzon-Medina was in a class of her own in sweeping the women’s 100 and 200-meter runs at the close of the Milo-Patafa Performance and Time Trials last Sunday afternoon at the Imus Sports Complex in Imus, Cavite.
A former Palarong Pambansa standout, Medina topped the century dash in 12.66 seconds and still had plenty to spare an hour later in completing a sprint double in ruling the 200-meter dash in 25.66 seconds.
Anfernee Lopena, as expected, ruled the men’s 100-meter run in 11.13 seconds but had to play second fiddle in the 200 meter race to PH teammate and 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Clinton Bautista, who broke away in the last 10 meters to win in 21.74 seconds to the latter’s 22.11 clocking.
“Talagang pinaghirapan ko talaga ito at nag-sipag sa training kasi matagal kaming walang training dahil sa pandemic,” noted Medina after her strong performance in the competition organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Associated and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The athlete, who married fellow national teammate and 400-meter hurdler Francis Medina in October 2020 then gave birth to baby Theo early last year, said that she nearly gave up on her career when she went back to training in Baguio last October grossly overweight and out of shape.
“Gusto ko nang mag-give up at that time kasi napakalayo ko sa mga teammates ko. It was coach Julius Nierras who worked me out at 400 meters for my first meet (at the Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships) in Baguio last December so I am very grateful to him,” she said.
“I really had to discipline myself and diet if I wanted something to something good for myself because I have set goals for my athletic career,” added Medina, a gold medalist in the mixed 4x100-meter relay in the 2019 SEA Games, who was now down to 52 kilograms, just two kilos over her competitive weight.
Rather than being a distraction, the baby, who is now being cared for by her parents in her hometown of Kibawe, Bukidnon, now serves as the athlete’s extra spur to do better and qualify for the 31st Vietnam SEA Games in May.
“I call these my treasure marks,” said Medina of the still-visible stretch marks on her belly.
“Pinu-push ko po talaga to qualify sa 100 meters and win a medal kaya gusto mag-train for the event,” said the athlete, whose winning time is one second off the bronze medal qualifying standard of 11.66 seconds set by Singaporean ace Veronica Shanti Pereira in the 30th SEA Games three years ago.
“I was not really expecting to win the 200. My goal here was just to try to maintain my workouts. Pero masaya pa rin na ako ang nanalo,” said Bautista, who topped the men’s 110-meter hurdles in the PH SEA Games held at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac in 2019.
He easily won his pet event at the start of the three-day meet at the Baguio Athletic Bowl last Wednesday.
“Medyo napagod at naubos ang lakas ko po dahil one hour lang po ang pagitan ng 100 and 200 races,” noted Lopena, who was also a member of the gold-medal winning mixed relay squad in Tarlac, of his runner-up finish in the latter race.
Mariano Masano, a 2019 SEAG silver medalist in the men’s 1,500-meter event, also won his forte in 4:02.52 while Macrose Dichoso topped the distaff side in 5:38.09. Ronnie Malipay clinched the men’s triple jump with a leap of 14.86 meters, nipping 2019 SEA Games silver medalist Mark Harry Diones (14.72) while John Lee Villaruel was third (14.19).