Torres back on scene of big feat

GUANGZHOU—Marestella Torres’s coach has high hopes for his ward in the 16th Asian Games, if only for the fact that she will be competing right in the very same venue where she had notched her biggest victory thus far.

“She is very familiar with the place and it brings back good memories,” said John Sy in Filipino. “Maybe that will help.” Torres won the long jump gold medal in the Asian athletics championships at the Aoti Main Stadium here last year, the country’s first title in the tough track and field meet since Lydia de Vega’s back became a familiar sight for sprint foes in the 80s. This year, she will attempt to score a medal for the national track team as she and Henry Dagmil bear the brunt of the country’s hopes in athletics, especially after being on of the few athletes who received government grants to train abroad. “She had a good training in Germany,” Sy revealed. “When she got back, her training was stalled a bit especially after we were transferred from the Rizal Memorial Coliseum to PhilSports as the surface was not as good.” “But she’ll be ready,” the coach vowed. “Hopefully we can grab a medal.” Sy said Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will be among the top contenders of the meet alongside traditional favorites China and Japan. Torres will see action Tuesday in the women’s long jump final around 5 p.m. The stadium is located at the Guangzhou Aoti Olympics Sports Centre in Huangcun, Dongpu town in Tianhe distric, about 45 minutes away by bus from the athletes and media villages at the Asian Games Town in Panyu district. Dagmil, meanwhile, sees action the day after in the men’s long jump with tempered expectations. “Right now, all I really want is to break my personal best,” he told the Inquirer Sunday. “It will really depend on conditioning. Whoever is in top condition and whoever can time his jump perfectly will have the edge.” Dagmil received treatment for sore hips Sunday afternoon, but said he doesn’t see the discomfort affecting his performance. “When you’re competing, you don’t feel anything anymore,” said the long jumper, who is coming off a gold medal finish in the Asian Grand Prix last June in Chennai, India.