"It doesn't stop because I had a bad race." - Fil-American Hurdler Eric Cray

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FIL-AMERICAN HURDLER ERIC CRAY ENDED HIS CAMPAIGN IN THE 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, WEDNESDAY MORNING.

          CRAY FINISHED 7^TH AMONG 8 COMPETITORS IN THE 1^ST SEMIFINAL HEAT OF THE MEN’S 400-METER HURDLES EVENT… CROSSING THE FINISH LINE WITH 49.37 SECONDS… SETTLING 17^TH PLACE OVERALL IN THE TOURNAMENT.

          ONLY TOP TWO HURDLES IN EACH HEAT PLUS THE TWO FASTEST RUNNERS VIA TOSSUP WILL ADVANCE IN THE FINALS.

          JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER HIS CAMPAIGN… CRAY POSTED IN HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT HOW BLESSED HE WAS FOR FINISHING THE RACE STILL IN TIP-TOP SHAPE AND THANKED EVERYONE WHO EXTENDED THEIR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT IN HIS WAY TO RIO.

“I didn't make into the finals, but it's a great thing to be here in the Olympics. Make it to the semis in my first Olympics it's the best experience. You know being here with all the best athletes in the World, call myself an Olympian. I'm just grateful be running in the Philippines and represent my mother Maria Cray…”

“I just wanna thank everybody for giving me all your prayers and giving me your blessings and cheering up on me while I am on my journey in the Olympics. My family and hereby is cheering for me, all the fans. I just wanna say thank you. Great things is going to come, it doesn't stop. Enjoy the moment people coz you'll never know where is gonna end. I just wanna say thank you, God bless and keep pushing everybody.”

          DESPITE WHAT HAPPENED… THE 27-YEAR OLD ATHLETE IS STILL DETERMINED TO GET BETTER NEXT YEAR… IN TIME FOR THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES IN MALAYSIA … AND FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN TOKYO, JAPAN IN 2020.

“Next year SEAGAMES, it's time to get ready... get ready for Tokyo (Olympics) in 2020. It doesn't stop because I had a bad race. You know it's the Olympics. I'm blessed to be here, I'm going home healthy…”

CRAY’S RIO PERFORMANCE… RAKED IN HIS PERSONAL BEST AND PHILIPPINE RECORD OF 48.98 SECONDS… WHICH HE ACHIEVED LAST JUNE IN MADRID, SPAIN.

DIAZ, MOST BLESSED PH ATHLETE

2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS SILVER MEDALIST HIDILYN DIAZ IS INDEED THE MOST BLESSED FILIPINO ATHLETE TODAY…

WITH ALL THE UNEXPECTED AND OVERWHELMING REWARDS AND ACCOLADES SHE HAS BEEN RECEIVING FROM THE PUBLIC…

AFTER BREAKING THE 20-YEAR MEDAL DROUGHT OF THE PHILIPPINES IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

LAST NIGHT… DIAZ RECEIVED A WARM WELCOME FROM FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS, TOP SPORTS LEADERS, COMMANDERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND MEMBERS OF THE PRESS… UPON HER ARRIVAL AT THE NAIA TERMINAL 3 IN PASAY.

A FEW HOURS LATER… DIAZ FLEW TO DAVAO CITY FOR A COURTESY CALL WITH PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE WHO HANDED OVER AN ADDITIONAL TWO-MILLION PESO CASH INCENTIVE… ASIDE FROM THE FIVE-MILLION CHEQUE PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE REPUBLIC ACT 10699.

INITIALLY… THE 25-YEAR OLD ZAMBOANGEÑA REVEALED HOW SHE WILL BE USING THE MONEY TO BUILD A TRAINING FACILITY FOR THE MAMPANG WEIGHTLIFTING CLUB IN ZAMBOANGA CITY.

DIAZ ASSURED THE PUBLIC THAT SHE WILL BE EXTENDING HER SERVICES TO THE NATIONAL TEAM... ESPECIALLY THOSE HEADING FOR THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS.

         "Parang ayoko pa pong mag-retire. Kasi ngayon pa lang po namimiss ko na ang pagbubuhat... siguro (sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics) hindi na ako papayag na silver lang, sa susunod gold na."

THE THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN ALSO HOPES THAT HER VICTORY WOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL FOR PHILIPPINE LEADERS… TO GIVE DUE ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL ATHLETES OR PHILIPPINE SPORTS IN GENERAL.

"Ang purpose nito siguro po, yung makilala yung sports para suportahan ng taong-bayan, tapos yung weightlifting din... Siguro ito rin yung time para ma-promote ko yung Olympism tska yung grassroots program." said Diaz.

MEANWHILE… DIAZ’S PARENTS EDUARDO AND EMELITA EXPRESSED THEIR GRATITUDE AND PROMISED TO SUPPORT HER IN WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO ACHIEVE IN LIFE.

DIAZ AND FAMILY ARRIVED IN ZAMBOANGA EARLIER TODAY… WHERE ANOTHER HERO’S WELCOME WAS GIVEN BY THE MUNICIPALITY AND TOWNSFOLK.

HERO'S WELCOME

         

        2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS SILVER MEDALIST HIDILYN DIAZ IS NOW ON HER FLIGHT BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES WITH FELLOW WEIGHTLIFTER NESTOR COLONIA AND NATIONAL COACH ALFONSITO ALDANETE.

IN AN EXCLUSIVE PHONE INTERVIEW… DIAZ BARED TO PTV NEWS THAT SHE IS EXCITED TO COME HOME… AFTER A TOUGH COMPETITION SHE WENT THROUGH IN RIO.

BECAUSE OF HER SILVER MEDAL AWARD… THE 25-YEAR OLD ZAMBOANGA CITY NATIVE WILL BE RECEIVING A CASH INCENTIVE WORTH 5 MILLION PESOS AS PROVIDE FOR IN REPUBLIC ACT 10699 OR THE NATIONAL ATHLETES, COACHES AND TRAINERS BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES ACT, PLUS A NEW HOUSE AND LOT FROM 8990 DECA HOMES.

"Sabi nila may Hero's Welcome daw, so excited na kami." said Diaz.

THE THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN ALSO ADMITTED HOW HAPPY AND ENTHUSIASTIC SHE IS TO SEE HER MOTHER EMELITA AGAIN… TO WHOM SHE OFFERED HER TRIUMPH AS A GRAND BIRTHDAY PRESENT WHO JUST TURNED 53, LAST MONDAY.

"Excited na akong makita siya... Mom, I miss you..." Diaz added.

MEANWHILE… DIAZ ALSO REACTED TO HER MOM’S STATEMENT THAT AFTER HER OLYMPIC MEDAL, SHE COULD HAVE A BOYFRIEND.

"HAHAHA! Pwde na siguro? Depende naman kasi eh... kung may makilala ako na mabait, responsable, tska sinusuportahan ako sa kung anong gusto ko, sa career ko, tska yung may takot sa Diyos."

DIAZ IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE COUNTRY AT FOUR-THIRTY IN THE AFTERNOON TODAY AT THE NAIA TERMINAL 3 IN PASAY CITY… TOGETHER WITH COLONIA… WHERE A HERO’S WELCOME AWAITS THEM FROM PHILIPPINE SPORTS COMMISSION AND PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE.

Ladon and Suarez, gave their BEST shot in Rio

Photo credits to CNN Philippines

Team Philippines medal hopes in Men's Boxing event of the 31st Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has finally ended.

Monday night, Lightflyweight Rogen Ladon who is seeded no.3 in the competition and who earned a bye in the official drawing of lots, bowed to world no.42 Yurberjen Martinez of Colombia via unanimous decision 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in the Round of 16 of Men’s Lightflyweight.

If Ladon won last night, he needed only one more fight to secure semis and bronze medal for the Philippines.

Ever since the Philippines joined the Olympic Games in 1924, boxing has always been the anticipated medal hope for the country.

Ladon, a 22-year old pugilist from Bago City in Baguio was a first timer in Olympiad but took the whole process in order to qualify himself in the quadrennial games. He was a silver medalist in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament in China last March and a silver medalist on both Asian Championship and 28th Southeast Asian Games last year.

In my interview with Rogen, he admitted that he was lack of training to prepare in the tournament, “Kulang pa talaga ako sa sarili ko, sa training kulang pa sa endurance. Napakalaking tulong poi tong experience ko sa Rio, nakikita ko yung mga pagkakamali ko at kailangang dagdagan ko pa yung training ko.” said Rogen.

Prior to the occasion, Ladon and Lightweight Charly Suarez, the other Filipino boxing campaigner in Rio, had undergone one-month training in the US with Philippine Boxing Team Head Coach Nolito Velasco and Team Consultant Nonito Donaire Sr.

On the other side of this, Ladon added that he was also motivated to do better next time he compete again, specificically, when Tokyo Olympics opens, four years from now.

”Sa ngayon, yung 2020 Tokyo Olympics, hindi ko pa po masabi… basta kung ano po ang ipagkaloob ng Panginoon sa akin. Basta ngayon charge to experience po muna hanggang sa makamit ko ang medalya.”

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Aside from Ladon, fellow Pinoy pugilist Charly Suarez did an early exit in the contention after suffering a split decision loss to Joseph Cordina of Great Britain in the Men’s Lightweight division.

However, on Monday morning, Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz bagged a silver medal in Women's 53-kilogram Weightlifting event, the 1^st Olympic medal for the Philippines in Rio, 1st Non-Boxer to medal in the Olympics, 1st woman from the Philippines who snatched a medal in Olympiad and 1^st Olympic medalist from Mindanao Island.

End of drought... No doubt, Diaz made it!

TWENTY-YEAR MEDAL DROUGHT OF TEAM PHILIPPINES IN SUMMER OLYMPICS OFFICIALLY ENDED TODAY… AFTER NATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTER HIDILYN DIAZ SNATCHED A SILVER MEDAL IN THE WOMEN’S 53-KILOGRAM CLASS OF THE ON-GOING 31^ST OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL.

THE 25-YEAR OLD ZAMBOANGA NATIVE LIFTED A TOTAL 200-KILOGRAM MASS WHICH CAME FROM HER 88-KILOGRAM LIFT FROM SNATCH AND 112-KILOGRAM IN CLEAN AND JERK.

DUE TO HER VICTORY… DIAZ WILL BE RECEIVING A FIVE-MILLION CASH INCENTIVES WHICH IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10699 OR THE NATIONAL ATHLETES AND COACHES BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES ACT WHICH WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR BY FORMER PRESIDENT NOYNOY AQUINO.

MEANWHILE, HSU SHU CHING OF CHINESE TAIPEI BAGGED THE GOLD MEDAL AWARD FROM HER UNQUESTIONABLE 212-KILOGRAM LIFT IN THE TOURNAMENT… WHILE SOUTH KOREAN BET YUN JOON HEE FINISHED 3^RD LIFTING 199-KILOS.

IN AN EXCLUSIVE PHONE INTERVIEW OF SPORTS RADIO 918… DIAZ ADMITTED THAT IT WAS A SURPRISED FOR HER AND THANK GOD FOR THE WIN.

         "Kanina sobrang saya, hindi ko inexpect na manalo ako ng silver. Sabi ko, 'Lord bronze lang hinihingi ko, ma-perform ko lang ng maayos, silver ang ibinigay mo sa akin, KAKAIBA KA!" said Diaz.

THE THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN ADDED THAT HER INCENTIVES WILL BENEFIT HER STUDY AND PLAN OF BUILDING UP A TRAINING FACILITY IN HER HOMETOWN IN ZAMBOANGA CITY.

       "Lahat po ng sakripisyo ko nabayaran ng medalyang ito ni God... kasi yung plano ko kailangan kong mag-medalya, kailangan ko ng pera. Kasi may plano ako sa Mampang Weightlifting Club, kailangan kong bumili ng lupa, para maitayo ko yung gym para sa mga bata. Tapos kailangan ko ng pera para mag-aral ako... about Sports Science of Sports Management..."

ASIDE FROM THE OLYMPIC MEDAL OF TEAM PHILIPPINES IN RIO… DIAZ WAS ALSO THE 1^ST FILIPINO OLYMPIC MEDALIST WHICH CAME FROM WEIGHTLIFTING EVENT OF THE PRESTIGIOUS OCCASION, 1^ST WOMAN IN THE PHILIPPINES TO MEDAL IN OLYMPIAD AND 1^ST OLYMPIC MEDALIST FROM MINDANAO.

THE MALACAÑANG PALACE ALSO EXTENDED THEIR GREETING FOR DIAZ TRIUMPH WHICH MAKES ALL THE FILIPINOS PROUD.