Petecio targets 2nd gold for PH

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TOKYO. – Nesthy Petecio is 29 years old. Her opponent for the flyweight gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics here, hometown bet Sena Irie, is 20.

Petecio has scored four victories so far, two of them against opponents a full head taller than her. Against Irie, Petecio is on equal footing, both standing 5-foot-2.

But the Japanese had beaten Petecio twice in their three meetings so far, the last during the quarterfinals of the Asia and Oceania Qualification Tournament in March last year, preventing the Filipina fighter from gaining an outright Olympics berth despite being the 2019 world champion.

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That doesn’t matter now, especially for Petecio’s Aussie coach, Don Abnett.

“I’m picking Nesty for the win,” Abnett declared last Sunday after Petecio and Irie advanced to their gold medal showdown.

That battle is set Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. (Manila time) at the Kokugikan Arena here.

Normally, athletes battling in their own countries have the homecourt advantage. But that won’t be the case with Irie. Due to the pandemic, fans are barred from all competitions here, depriving her of crowd support that had spelled the difference between victory and defeat in many sporting battles.

On her way to the finals, Petecio scored a come-from-behind 4-1 victory over Italian Irma Testa, becoming only the third Filipino boxer to get as far as the finals in Olympic boxing.

Irie pounded out a split decision win over Karris Artingstall of Great Britain, the bout coming down to the final moments as Japanese got the nod of three judges on similar 29-28 scorecards.

Aside from the gold medal, Petecio has also set her sights on immortality in Philippine sports that another Filipino athlete, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, achieved last July 26 when she ended the country’s 97-year wait for an Olympic gold.

Also up for grabs are incentives running to millions. As of last week, Diaz has been assured of nearly P50 million in monetary rewards, house and lots in Tagaytay City and Zamboanga, at least two condominium units, free fuel for life, and unlimited travel from two airlines.

If she loses, Petecio settles for the silver medal and will also receive incentives.

Meanwhile, Carlos EdrielYulo suffered a costly penalty in his first attempt and eventually settled for fourth place with a score of 14.716 points in the men’s vault event of the Tokyo Olympic men’s artistic gymnastics competitions at the Ariake Gymnastics Center Monday.

Although dazzling with his aerial routine, Yulo was deducted .10 points on his initial try when he landed with feet apart, the right foot going out of the mat, pulling his score down to 14.566 points.

Bidding for redemption after flopping in his pet floor exercise event last July 24, the pint-size Pinoy gymnast was more precise with an error-free high score of 14.866 points in his second attempt, but it wasn’t enough to give him a podium finish in his Olympic debut.

South Korean Shin Jeahwan bagged the gold medal with a score of 14.873 points, besting Russian Dennis Abliazin, who also had 14.873 but had to settle for the silver due to the former’s higher degree of difficulty in his routine.Armenian Davytantook the bronze with 14.733 points.

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