Behind Olympics dreamer is coach who’s been there

Kirstie Elaine Alora —INQUIRER PHOTO

It’s been quite a while since a Filipino ruled the world stage in taekwondo.

Then Tachiana Mangin came along.

Behind the stellar performance of the Grade 12 jin from University of Santo Tomas is her coach, Olympian Kirstie Elaine Alora, fortified the foundation of Mangin’s path to victory.

“All the things that I learned as an athlete should be passed to the next generation,” said Alora, perhaps the most successful athlete of the sport during her prime.

Mangin became the recipient of Alora’s wealth of experience on the battlefield, striking gold at the recent World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea.

The 16-year-old from Valenzuela City defeated home favorite Kim Hyang of South Korea, 2-1, in the women’s minus-49 kilogram finale at the Chuncheon Air Dome.

Mangin captured the nation’s first junior world title since Alex Borromeo won the men’s -47kg division in Barcelona, Spain.

“My biggest dream, really, is to compete in the Olympics in 2028. It has become my motivation to bring out the best in me,” said Mangin.

Alora hopes to guide her there.

“She has a bright future ahead. Tachiana is no ordinary athlete,” said Alora, who represented the country in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The 34-year-old Alora owns two bronze medals from the Asian Games (Asiad). A campaigner in the women’s -73kg division, she also has four gold medals and five silver medals from the Southeast Asian Games.

After suiting up for the national team one last time at the Asiad in China last year, Alora began handling the junior and cadet programs of the Philippine Taekwondo Association.

“She’s very coachable and never backs down. With these attributes, I believe she’s capable of winning an Olympic medal,” Alora said of Mangin.