‘Diesel’ Marestella seeks Olympic atonement

RIO DE JANEIRO—Marestella Torres-Sunang compares herself to a diesel engine during competitions. She attains power to the max after a sufficient warmup.

The three-time Olympian attempts to atone for her below-par performances in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 when she vies in the long jump event of athletics, which fires off on Aug. 12 at the iconic Maracana Stadium here.

“I have a problem with warmups because entries constantly fight for space,” the mother of a two-year-old son said in Filipino. “It takes sometime for me to get good jumps. I’ll try to practice in the warmup runway outside the stadium.”

Sunang said she’ll use her vast experience this time in order to do better against a 32-strong field bristling with more than a dozen reigning and former world and continental champions.

“Now I know how to compete,” said the 35-year-old from San Jose, Negros Oriental. “I’m more inspired now because of Eliamar Matvie (her child).”