Filipino athletics bets Aries Toledo and Sarah. Dequinan try to regain the gold medal in the upcoming 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia. –ARNEL TACSON/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Filipino heptathlete Sarah Dequinan and decathlete Aries Toledo will have to show great resolve if they are to return to the Southeast Asian Games podium in their respective events.
Both Dequinan and Toledo are dealing with hamstring injuries ahead of their campaign in Cambodia.
“The training is good so far but in terms of conditioning, I’m not completely okay. My PT (physical therapist) told me that I have a mild strain in my left knee hamstring. I couldn’t train for hurdles and long jumps much for now so that’s what I’m fighting right now,” said Dequinan in Filipino.
“Even if we say it’s just minor, if I try to think it’s okay, the muscle is still hard to move so it’s hard to execute.”
Dequinan snagged the silver medal in heptathlon last year in the Hanoi Games.
Toledo is also facing the same predicament while only having limited preparation.
“Back in September, I trained for the military and the Philippine Navy and I graduated just last February. We had an event in Ilagan but my hamstring was damaged so I couldn’t play and perform,” he said.
“Now, though, I told myself that National Open shouldn’t be an excuse for me not to compete in the SEA Games,” he added.
In the previous edition of the biennial meet, Toledo was gunning for a three-peat but settled for silver despite tallying a personal best of 7,469.