Its not the worst

SEA Games Federation

The Philippine Athletics Team’s performance at the recent 2011 SEA Games at Palembang, Indonesia was not the worst in the Games history.

The PH Teams at the 1977, 1979 and 1999 SEA Games brought home one (1) gold each courtesy female athletic legends: Erlinda Lavandia and Elma Muros.

It is interesting  to note that after the 1979 and 1999 debacle, Philippine Athletics experienced vast improvements right in the next SEA Games.

The 1981 SEA Games witnessed the unveiling of Project Gintong Alay’s talents, which brought home 8 golds (including 2 each by Isidro del Prado and Lydia de Vega).

While the 2001 SEA Games, saw the unleashing of the so-called GTK’s Army which brought home 7 golds – 6 from new stars, like Eduardo Buenavista, John Lozada and Ernie Candelario.

Are we expecting another renaissance from Philippine Athletics after  the 2011 SEA Games?

Only history can tell.

Below is the list of all Philippine gold medalists in the SEA Games Athletics competition from 1977 to 2011:

1977 SEA Games
1	Erlinda Lavandia	Women’s Javelin Throw	45.22m

1979 SEA Games
1	Erlinda Lavandia	Women’s Javelin Throw	45.98m

Gov. Keon was the former Director of Project: Gintong Alay. The system which produced PH track legends like Lydia de Vega, Isidro del Prado, Elma Muros, Hector Begeo and Agrifina dela Cruz to name a few

1981 SEA Games
1	Isidro del Prado Sr.	Men’s 400m	47.10s
2	Isidro del Prado Sr.	Men’s 800m	1:48.78
3	David Carmelo	Men’s 10,000m	31:11.77
4	Jimmy dela Torre	Men’s Marathon	2:25:50
5	Jaime Grafilo	Men’s 400m hurdles	52.19s
6	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 200m	23.54s
7	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 400m	54.75s
8	Erlinda Lavandia	Women’s Javelin Throw	46.20m

1983 SEA Games
1	Isidro del Prado Sr.	Men’s 400m	46.40s
2	Leonardo Illut	Men’s 10,000m	31:57.42
3	Hector Begeo	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:57.50
4	Renato  Unso	Men’s 400m hurdles	51.26s
5	Chamberlain Gonzales	Men’s Pole Vault	4.20m
6	Agustin Jarina	Men’s Hammer Throw	48.20m
7	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 200m	24.26s
8	Lucena Ulam	Women’s 800m	2:13.45
9	Agrifina dela Cruz	Women’s 100m hurdles	14.90s
10	Agrifina dela Cruz	Women’s 400m hurdles	1:01.43
11	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.06m

Del Prado is the ownerof 5 SEA Games gold medals ranging from 400m (thrice) to 800m and the 4x400m relay

1985 SEA Games
1	Hector Begeo	Men’s 5,000m	14:22.28
2	Mario Castro	Men’s 10,000m	30:51.8
3	Hector Begeo	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	9:02.25
4	Leopoldo Arnillo	Men’s 400m hurdles	52.20s
5	PH Team	Men’s 4x400m relay	3:06.58
6	Agrifina dela Cruz	Women’s 100m hurdles	14.09s
7	Agrifina dela Cruz	Women’s 400m hurdles	59.29s
8	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.11m
9	Erlinda Lavandia	Women’s Javelin Throw	47.96m
10	Nene Gamo Pellosis	Heptathlon	4,603 pts

1987 SEA Games
1	Hector Begeo	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	9:08.03
2	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 100m	11.28s
3	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 200m	23.57s
4	Agrifina dela Cruz	Women’s 100m hurdles	14.19s
5	Nenita Adan	Women’s 400m hurdles	1:00.38
6	Lydia de Vega	Women’s Long Jump	6.27m

De Vega is the owner of 8 SEA Games golds which she won from the 100m, 200m, 400m and the Long Jump, and still the Games' record holder over the 100m with a mark of 11.28s set in 1987

1989 SEA Games
1	Isidro del Prado Sr.	Men’s 400m	47.20s
2	Herman Suizo	Men’s Marathon	2:23.19
3	Elma Muros	Women’s 100m hurdles	13.98s
4	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.52m

1991 SEA Games
1	Herman Suizo	Men’s Marathon	2:22.52
2	Hector Begeo	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:55.65
3	Edward Lasquette	Men’s Pole Vault	4.80m
4	Fidel Repizo	Men’s Discuss Throw	52.10m
5	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 100m	11.44s
6	Elma Muros	Women’s 100m hurdles	13.66s
7	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.30m
8	Nene Gamo Pellosis	Heptathlon	5,125 pts

1993 SEA Games
1	Edward Lasquette	Men’s Pole Vault	4.85m
2	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 100m	11.60s
3	Lydia de Vega	Women’s 200m	23.37s
4	Marietta Tabangin	Women’s 1500m	4:29.69
5	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.44m
6	Elma Muros	Women’s 400m hurdles	58.65s

1995 SEA Games
1	Hector Begeo	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:59.73
2	Edward Lasquette	Men’s Pole Vault	4.90m
3	Elma Muros	Women’s 200m	24.00s
4 5	Elma Muros Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump Women’s 100m	6.34m 11.81s

1997 SEA Games
1	Hector Begeo	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	9:08.28
2	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.45m
3	Elma Muros	Heptathlon	5,269 pts

Muros won 15 SEA Games golds from 1983 to 2001. The most by any Filipino Track Athlete

1999 SEA Games
1	Elma Muros	Women’s Long Jump	6.34m

2001 SEA Games
1	Ernie Candelario	Men’s 400m	46.59s
2	John Lozada	Men’s 800m	1:49.39
3	Eduardo Buenavista	Men’s 5,000m	14:15.13
4	Roy Vence	Men’s Marathon	2:23:51
5	Eduardo Buenavista	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:40.77
6	Christabel Martes	Women’s Marathon	2:52:43
7	Elma Muros	Heptathlon	5,059 pts

2003 SEA Games
1	Ernie Candelario	Men’s 400m	47.06s
2	John Lozada	Men’s 1500m	3:56.80
3	Eduardo Buenavista	Men’s 10,000m	29:19.62
4	Allan Ballester	Men’s Marathon	2:21:03
5	Rene Herrera	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:50.78
6	Arniel Ferrera	Men’s Hammer Throw	55.28m
7	Danilo Fresnido	Men’s Javelin Throw	67.11m
8	Lerma Gabito	Women’s Long Jump	6.21m

2005 SEA Games
1	Jimar Aing	Men’s 400m	47.03s
2	Rene Herrera	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:56.14
3	Henry Dagmil	Men’s Long Jump	7.81m
4	Arniel Ferrera	Men’s Hammer Throw	60.47m
5	Danilo Fresnido	Men’s Javelin Throw	70.20m
6	PH Team	Men’s 4x400m relay	3:09.15
7	Mercedita Manipol	Women’s 10,000m	35:38.04
8	Christabel Martes	Women’s Marathon	2:47:07
9	Marestella Torres	Women’s Long Jump	6.47m

GTK's Army was at its height in 2005 when it brought home 9 gold medals from the SEA Games, the most since 1985. Inset shows Herrera, Banayag and Buenavista showingoff their golds at the 2009 Games

2007 SEA Games
1	Julius Nierras	Men’s 400m	46.56s
2	Rene Herrera	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:54.21
3	Henry Dagmil	Men’s Long Jump	7.87m
4	Arniel Ferrera	Men’s Hammer Throw	60.98m
5	Marestella Torres	Women’s Long Jump	6.31m

2009 SEA Games
1	Rene Herrera	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	9:11.20
2	Eduardo Buenavista	Men’s Marathon	2:21:10
3	Arniel Ferrera	Men’s Hammer Throw	61.62m
4	Danilo Fresnido	Men’s Javelin Throw	72.93m
5	Jho Ann Banayag	Women’s Marathon	2:46:34
6	Marestella Torres	Women’s Long Jump	6.68m
7	Rosie Villarito	Women’s Javelin Throw	49.69m

2011 SEA Games
1	Rene Herrera	Men’s 3,000m steeplechase	8:52.23
2	Marestella Torres	Women’s Long Jump	6.71m

Photocredits: Philstar