INQUIRER Sports

THE PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN in the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing officially starts on August 9 when veteran shooter Eric Ang and archer Mark Javier begin their quest in the preliminary rounds of their respective events.

The 37-year-old Ang gets going at 9 a.m. in the men’s trap event at the Beijing Shooting Range. Six hours later, it will be Javier’s turn as he vies in the men’s ranking of the recurve event at the Beijing Olympic Green Archery field.

The final round of Ang’s event will be held the following day, the same day diver Sheila Mae Perez and swimmer Miguel Molina also begin their bids.

Perez, a veteran of the 2004 Athens Games, will compete in the women’s 3-meter springboard. Molina leads the way for the youthful RP swim team as he sees action in the men’s 200-meter freestyle at 2:30 p.m. at the National Aquatics Center.

Day Three of the Games will see diver Ryan Rexel Fabriga in action in the synchronized 10-meter platform, swimmer James Walsh campaigning in the men’s 200m butterfly and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, at 17 the youngest athlete in this year’s contingent, gunning for a medal in the women’s 58kg class.

Top medal prospect Harry Tañamor starts his quest in the men’s light flyweight division of boxing on Aug. 13. Also in action on that day are Molina in the men’s 200m breaststroke, and teenager Christel Simms, who will vie in the women’s 100m free.

Molina wraps up what could be his last Olympic stint when he competes in in the 200m medley on Aug. 14.

On that same day, Daniel Coakley and Ryan Arabejo debut in the men’s 50m freestyle and 1500m, respectively.

Henry Dagmil competes in the men’s long jump on Aug. 18, before taekwondo jin Tshomlee Go sees action in the -58kg on Aug. 20. Long jumper Marestella Torres takes her turn on Aug. 21, along with Toni Rivero, who hopes to crash the medal podium in taekwondo’s -68 kg division.