Torres, Diaz flub special Asiad tryouts

OLYMPIANS Marestella Torres and Hidilyn Diaz, both erstwhile pillars of Team Philippines in major multi-sport competitions, yesterday failed in their quest to qualify for the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, this September.

Torres, the 2009 Asian women’s long jump champion who is on the comeback trail after giving birth last Juanuary, was just a shadow of her old self as she faltered in a special tryout at Philsports track oval in Pasig.

The 33-year-old Torres, a two-time Olympian, failed to match the 6.37-meter standard set by the Asiad Task Force in each of her six attempts. She even fouled in her last try.

The closest she could get was 6.17m in the fifth, and did 6.08m, 6.03m, 6.00m, 5.85m in her first four attempts.

The 23-year-old Diaz, who hails from Zamboanga, also faltered in her own tryouts held at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

She could only total 220 kilograms (100kg snatch and 120 clean and jerk), just 5kg short of the 225kg criteria. She tried to go for 125 in clean and jerk but failed.

Torres is the reigning Southeast Asian Games record holder, setting the mark of 6.71m in the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, Indonesia.

She failed to make the SEA Games team last year after getting pregnant.