INQUIRER Sports

BEIJING?Filipino-American tanker James Walsh went down in history as the first Southeast Asian to go under the psychological two-minute barrier in the 200-meter butterfly and lifter Hidilyn Diaz smashed her own national record Monday in a pair of resounding Philippine performances on the fourth day of the Beijing Olympics here.

Walsh, the 21-year-old pre-medicine scholar at the University of Florida, clocked one minute and 59.39 seconds in topping the second of seven heats of the event lorded over by American superstar Michael Phelps at the National Aquatics Center.

The first of five Filipino swimmers to see action here rewrote his old record of 2:00.42 which he set at the US Senior National Swimming Championships last year.

Spain?s Javier Nunez followed Walsh home in 2:00.24 with Argentina?s Andres Jose Gonzales third in 2:00.36.

The Filipino failed to advance to the 16-man semifinals, though, as his clocking was good only for 29th place.

A total of 44 swam the 200m butterfly, with world record-holder Phelps heading the qualifiers with a new Olympic standard of 1:53.70.

?That was a magnificent swim by JB (Walsh?s nickname),? said Mark Joseph, the president of the national swimming association.

Walsh was more than four seconds quicker than his SEA Games rival Donny Budiarto Utomo of Indonesia who timed 2:03.44.

Diaz smashed her national record total in the women?s 58-kilogram class of weightlifting but could do no better than land in 11th place in an elite field of 12.

The Zamboanga lass, at 17 the youngest and greenest member of the 15-athlete Philippine squad, lifted 192 kg on a snatch of 85 kg and an RP record 107 kg in the clean and jerk.

That total improved by 2 kg the old mark of 190 she set in last year?s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, though it fell way short of the medalists? lifts.

Diaz managed 107 kg on her last attempt in the clean and jerk, surpassing her old RP record of 105 but missing her personal target of 110 at the standing-room-only Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics gymnasium.

To underscore the strength of the opposition, five women lifted a total of 220 or better?the most in three Olympics, according to the sport?s international federation?with Chinese world record holder and defending champion Chen Yanqing setting an Olympic standard of 244 kg to run away with the gold medal.

Chen had a snatch of 106 kg and a clean and jerk of 138 as she beat Russia?s Marina Shainova to the silver, 227 (98-129). North Korea?s O Jong-ae bagged the bronze on 226 (95-131).

?Sobrang malalakas ang kalaban (The competition was amazingly strong),? said Diaz, the daughter of a tricycle driver who saw action here as a wild card, on the invitation of the international federation.

Team Philippines chief of mission Monico Puentevella, also the president of the national weightlifting association, said Diaz showed her readiness to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.

?I?m proud of her for breaking the national record,? said Bacolod Rep. Puentevella. ?I believe she?s good for three more Olympics, huwag lang munang mag-aasawa (if she doesn?t get married soon).?

Diaz and Walsh were the second and third Filipinos to bow out of the Olympics after shotgun marksman Eric Ang, who wound up dead last in a field of 35 at the end of the men?s trap competition Sunday at the Beijing Shooting Range.

Archer Mark Javier, the only other Filipino to see action in these Games Sunday, set up a knockout duel with Chinese Taipei?s Kuo Cheng-wei in Wednesday?s round-of-32 of the men?s FITA 70-meter event.