NO longer a spring chicken at 41, veteran long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang had to make various adjustments to remain in competitive shape.
Those adjustments did Sunang a world of good as she flashed vintage form yesterday to rule her pet event with a jump of 6.11 meters at the close of the Milo-Patafa Performance and Time Trials at the Imus Sports Complex in Imus, Cavite.
The Southeast Asian Games long jump queen from 2005 to 2011, Sunang overcame the early morning headwinds that swept through the track to win the gold in her second jump, avenging her loss to Katherine Kay Santos in the Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships in Baguio last December.
Santos, who won that December duel with Sunang on the countback with a jump of 6.06 meters, had difficulty with her take-off and settled for second in the meet backed by Lily’s Peanut Butter.
Abcede Agamos finished third (5.49) at the end of the three-day competition organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission as part of the national track and field tryouts for the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May.
“Masaya ako sa talon ko. Naging maganda pa rin ang fitness and conditioning ko,” noted Sunang, who turned 41 last Feb. 20.
“Because of her age we revised our tapering and recovery program for Marestella and reduced her stride from 20 to 18 so we won’t fade during her take-off. This has all been trial and error but seems to be working,” noted national long jump coach Joebert Delicano.
Delicano was optimistic that with still two months to go before the Vietnam SEA Games “we can pull her (Torres) so she can be jumping between 6.20 to 6.30 that would boost her chances of a podium finish.”
