LONG jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang, sprinter Eric Cray and Filipino marathon queen Mary Joy Tabal and are all primed and ready to make big strides in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The three athletes said this after they were honored on Tuesday during a sendoff ceremony organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and their supporters.
“Sa kundisyon ko ngayon, goal kong makapasok sa finals. Hindi ko na tinitingnan ang distance,” said Torres-Sunang during a gathering at the Orchid Gardens Suite in Vito Cruz, Manila.
She achieved the Olympic qualifying mark of 6.71 meters when she brought home the gold in the 2016 Kazakhstan National Open recently in Almaty.
In her preparations for Rio, the 35-year old Torres-Sunang said she has incorporated the use of meditation through yoga into her training program.
This, Torres-Sunang explained, helps give her more flexibility and avoid injuries when she trains with her coach Joebert Delicano.
On the other hand, Cray is busy trying to stay in shape with his coach Devian Clarke.
“I just go in and train. We are going to a higher distance so I can deal with the buildup and make sure that I am healthy going to Rio,” said Cray following a long distance Skype call in El Paso, Texas where he is based.
Cray, a double gold medallist and double games record setter in the 100-meter dash and in the 400-meter hurdles in the recent Southeast Asian Games, will see action in the 400-meter hurdles in Rio.
“ I am preparing for the route and the weather. We train inside the school with a combination of uphill, downhill and rough road per loop,” said Tabal through chat after voice communications became choppy.
Tabal, who is personally trained by Philip John Duenas in Cebu, made the cut when she reached the finish line in the Ottawa Marathon in 2:43.29, which was faster than the Olympic standard of 2:45.
She is currently in Japan training at the Nippon Sports Science University under renowned mentor Akio Usami.
American businessman-sportsman Jim Laffery, who has started an Adopt-an-Olympian program is currently supporting the preparations of both Torres-Sunang and Cray. Cebu-based businessman Jonel Borromeo is helping out Tabal through his company Motor Ace Philippines-Kawasaki.
“We are close to a medal hunt here,” said Laffery as he presented his program to Patafa president Philip Ella Juico.