“Losing happens even to the best of them,” Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez said to Filipino athletes who suffered heartbreaking setbacks during the first day of competitions at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
World champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, one of the country’s brightest hopes for a gold medal in the games, failed to advance to the finals of his favorite men’s floor exercise and five other events, making only the vault championship round.
“Si Caloy (Yulo), first-time [niya] sa Olympics. I got to talk to him before his vault competition. Sabi ko sa kanya na ‘wag siya masyadong mag-worry kasi it really happens,” Ramirez said.
“Kahit ‘yung Japanese two-time world champion, natalo, nahulog sa bar,” he added.
The PSC chief said pressure from the Filipino public and high expectations that stemmed from the Philippines’ 97-year-old gold medal drought in the Olympics proved simply too much for the Filipino Olympians to handle.
“Medyo frustrating because we [have been] expecting the elusive gold since 1924,” Ramirez said, adding that the journey to Olympic glory doesn’t happen overnight.
“Naawa ako sa bata (Yulo) dahil he was pressured. Nakita ko na umupo siya sa ibaba. I would imagine as an athlete ‘yung frustration noong bata, but Caloy should not worry because he has Paris Olympics to look forward to,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said the PSC has learned so much from the experience of other Olympic athletes where they should have their own coaches, nutritionists, psychologists, and physiologists.
“Hindi pwede na ipapadala lang natin [itong mga atleta] at mangangarap lang tayo ng gold,” Ramirez said. (PSC) / CF – jlo
