Team Philippines at the opening of the Paris Olympics along the Seine River on July 26, 2024 (July 27, PH time) (Photo courtesy of Abraham Tolentino)
MANILA – Less than 24 hours after the first Olympic opening held outdoors, Carlos Yulo and Joanie Delgaco will jumpstart the Philippine campaign in Paris on Saturday.
Yulo’s men’s artistic gymnastics qualification subdivision 2 gets going 9:30 p.m. (PH time) at Bercy Arena.
Delgaco’s women’s single sculls heat starts earlier at 3 p.m. (PH time) at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
On Sunday, fencer Samantha Cantantan opens her women’s individual foil bid at 3:30 p.m. at Grand Palais; and women artistic gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo plunge into the qualification subdivision 3 at 8:50 p.m., all PH time.
The other Filipino Olympians are pole vaulter EJ Obiena; boxers Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio, Hergie Bacyadan, Eumir Marcial and Carlo Paalam; weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, John Ceniza and Elreen Ando; judoka Kiyomi Watanabe; golfers Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan; hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Laura Hoffman; and swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch.
Petecio and Paalam, silver medalists in Tokyo 2020, carried the Philippine flag during the rainy opening day parade along the Seine River.
Ardina and Pagdanganan did not join the parade as they are billeted near the golf venue, The Albatros Course at Le Golf National in Guyancourt town, located about 40 kilometers southwest of downtown Paris.
Delegations arrived via boat and passed by famous landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and the Louvre Museum.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open. A total of 10,500 athletes will compete in 329 events until Aug. 11.
Football and rugby sevens already started on July 24 and handball and archery on July 25.
The women's basketball gold will be the last medal to be disputed on Aug 11.
Organizers said there will be 75,000 police, soldiers and hired guard for the entire duration of the Games.
This year’s Olympics marks 100 years since the Games were last held in the French capital in 1924, which was also the first time the Philippines competed at the quadrennial meet.
The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian team to compete at the Olympic Games and has appeared at every Games except at Moscow 1980.
That year saw the smallest Olympic participation at 80 nations as the United States-led boycott due to the Soviet-Afghan war enticed 65 others to skip the Games.
At Tokyo 2020 (held 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic), the Philippines won its first Olympic gold medal through weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, part of a total haul of four medals.
Meanwhile, the Paralympics on Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 will have swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Angel Otom; taekwondo jin Allain Keanu Ganapin; archer Agustina Bantiloc; and athletics' Jerrold Pete Mangliwan (wheelchair racing) and Cendy Asusano (javelin throw). (PNA)
