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By Emil C. Noguera, Correspondent
LONG jumper Henry Dagmil left Sunday for the
United States to boost his chances of earning an Olympic berth.
Dagmil, who hails from South Cotabato, will join
compatriot Sheena Atilano, who left early this month, in a
four-month intensive training under veteran Fil-American coach Jerry
Cablayan in Los Angeles, California.
“We’re optimistic that Dagmil and Atilano
will qualify in the coming Beijing Games,” said Philippine Amateur
Track and Field Association President Go Teng Kok.
Dagmil, who set a new Southeast Asian Games
record of 7.87 meters in December, must meet the 8.05-meter mark to
make the Olympic standard B grade. The standard A record is 8.20
meters.
“Based on his record, we believe that Dagmil
could reach the qualifying mark. He still has some months to train
and improve his performance. I believe in his ability,” stressed
Go.
Atilano, on the other hand, currently holds the
national record of 13.65 seconds in 100-meter hurdles she
established during the Asian Grand Prix in India in June.
She erased the 16-year-old mark of 13.66 seconds
set by Elma Muros-Posadas in the 1991 Manila SEA Games.
The 26-year-old Atilano needs to surpass the
13.11 seconds qualifying standard B in any International Association
of Athletics Federation-sanctioned tournaments to earn an Olympic
ticket.
Both Dagmil and Atilano are also set to compete
in the three-leg Asian Grand Prix in April.
“We are hoping to send our other athletes in
international tournaments because they need the exposure to gauge
their skills,” added Go.
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