11. Part One: 1st Filipino Olympic Medalist and Swimming Hero TEÓFILO YLDEFONSO

The Philippines, in just its second participation at the World Olympics, won its first ever Olympic medal,  courtesy of the much-celebrated, trailblazing swimmer  TEÓFILO YLDEFONSO (or Spanish “Yldefonzo” as entered in Olympic record books). It was for Yldefonso’s historic third place finish in the 200 meter Breaststroke swimming event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, where he bagged the Bronze Medal. In 1932, he would repeat that feat in the same event 4 years later at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, winning another Bronze for the first ever back-to-back win for the Philippines.

In his time, Yldefonso would be regarded as one of the best breaststrokers in the world, known for his unique style of doing the stroke closer to the surface, instead of underwater, which allowed for quicker recovery and faster speed. This “Yldefonso Style” would become popular with swimmers of smaller stature, which led to his being named “Father of the Modern Breaststroke”. Decades after his tragic death , the International Swimming Federation would honor Yldefonso with the ultimate accolade, by inducting him in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010.

An Ilocano Baby Shark is born.

Yldefonso was born on 11 November 1902 in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, one of 3 sons of Felipe Yldefonso and Aniceta de la Cruz, the middle of 3 siblings after Vicente and before Teodoro. Another brother died in infancy, and his own mother soon followed.

Despite these early tragedies, Teofilo, according to a 1938 article about his early life , “was raised in an environment mentally, and physically so healthy as to lay the foundation for his fighting heart and marvelous physique. Experimenting bit by bit, and growing bolder and more confident in himself as time went on, he taught himself the rudimentary principles of swimming.” It was said that Yldefonso learned to swim at the nearby Guisit River in his hometown.

Making Waves in the Military

Yldefonso joined the Philippine Scouts under the command of the U.S. Army Philippine Division in 1922.  At age 24, now a slim, muscular youth of twenty four, Yldefonso raised his right hand and took the oath of allegiance to the United States. He was assigned to Company "D" 57th Infantry 'where he received his initiation into the military, and found it to his liking. The young military was stationed at Fort McKinley, and as part of his physical conditioning, he would refine his self-taught swimming skills at Pasay Beach near Manila.

Yldefonso had not been three months in the service before he entered his first swimming meet. It was against the University of the Philippines which that year boasted as strong an aggregation of tank stars as had ever represented the University. He took second place for the McKinley team in the 200 yard breast-stroke. True, it was

but second place, but the young soldier, having tasted once of the thrill of competition knew that greater things were in store — and they were.

In the next few years, Yldefonso  competed in every available swim meets—from the local McKinley Games in 1924 where he won 4 Golds in his individual events (except for a swim relay where the team settled for a Silver),  the Philippine National Championships (where he won 6 first places in 1925) to the highly competitive regional multi-sport  Far East Games Championship Games, that he started joining beginning in 1923.

A Pool of Talent at the Far Eastern Games

The sixth edition of the Far Eastern Championships marked Yldefonso’s debut in this regional meet against Japanese and Chinese athletes that was staged in Osaka, Japan in May 21-25, 1923. As if he were just testing the waters, he placed second in his 100 m. breast stroke event, ruled by the Japanese.

When he returned to the 1925 Far Eastern Games held in Manila, Yldefonso won Gold in the 220 Yds. breaststroke,  and a Silver for 200 M. Men’s Relay. Another milestone achievement that same year was his marriage to Manuela Ella, with whom he would father 6 children.

In the next 3 stagings of the Far Eastern Games (1927 Shanghai, 1930 Tokyo, 1934 Manila) Yldefonso would dominate the 200 M. breaststroke winning 3 Golds in all 3 editions. By 1928, the name "Yldefonso",  became synonymous with the sport of swimming.  Soon the whole world was to hear of the self-taught merman.

A Man of Bronze in Amsterdam

Yldefonso’s unparalled performance at the 3 Far Eastern Games made him an instant member of the compact Philippine Olympic team chosen to go to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Four Filipino competitors comprised the selection, an improvement from the 1-man representative in 1924: 2 in Athletics (Anselmo Gonzaga for the sprints, Simeon Toribio for the High Jump) and 2 in Swimming.  Yldefonso had a companion in the person of a spectacular Tausug swimmer, Tuburan Tamase, who specialized in middle to long distance swimming races.

It must have been an exciting journey for Yldefonso to travel for the first time to Europe, to Netherlands of tulips and windmills, so far removed from his humble Piddig hometown. But the thrill of competition was far greater as the swimming events went underway in August 1928.

To get to the finals, the well-built, 161 pound,  5 ft. 7 athlete had to hurdle the preliminary series or heats. There were 4 series of 5 swimmers each. Only the top 8 finishers of the heats will advance to the Semifinals. Yldefonso was in Series  3, and finished the race with a time of 2 min. 56 and 2/5 secs. But since there were ties (Yldefonso and German Erwin Sietas were in joint 5th, Canada’s W. Spence and Austria’s K. Schafer were in joint 4th ), nine swimmers made it to the semifinals).

Two Semifinal races were held to determine the 6 finalists. Yldefonso was in the series with the Japanese Yoshiyuki Tsuruta, who had topped the preliminaries. He came in 3^rd, improving his time to 2:53 and 1/5 of a second. Of the 6 finalists, he had the third best time, with Tsuruta on top.

On 8 August 1928, the 200 m., the breaststroke finals were held before jampacked crowd at the Olympic natatorium. Yldefonso was in the outermost lane, next to the German Sietas. At the sound of the gun, the swimmers dove into the 50 meter pool and began their strokes, 4 laps in all. Japan’s Tsuruta won a clear Gold, clocking in at 2 mins. 48 4/5 secs—a new Olympic record. Germany’s Erich Rademacher came in 2 seconds later, at 2 mins. 50 3/5 secs., for the Silver medal. Yldefonso and Sietas practically clawed their way to the wall, but Yldefonso touched first to claim the Bronze Medal, at 2 mins. 56 2/5 secs. Sietas was just 1/5 of a second behind. 

Yldefonso’s Bronze would be the very first Olympic medal to be won by a Filipino across all sports; but to a jubilant Philippines, it was just as good as  Gold. Upon his return from Amsterdam, he was met with tumultuous reception by his countrymen, was feted by his proud comrades of the 57^th Infantry Regiment, and was given medals of recognition by his U.S. Army Commander.

In the Swim of Things Between Olympics

Never to rest on his laurels, Yldefonso continued his swimming career with the next Olympics in mind. In 1929, he was sent to the 1^st Philippine-Formosa Dual Meet, a biennial swimming championship goodwill even that would run until the 1950s.

As usual, the “Ilocano Shark” was unbeatable in his favorite breaststroke event and was part of the 4-man freestyle relay team that won Gold. His winning streak continued later in the year at Philippine National Championships, even trying out longer distances with success—he placed 2^nd in the 1,500 m. race. He also medalled at the 1930 Philippine Military Department Meet.

His most important meet however was the 1930 Far Eastern Games held in Tokyo, Japan. In the 200 m. breaststroke finals, he turned the table on the 1928 Olympic champion Yoshiyuki Tsuruta. It could be recalled that Yldefonso placed 3^rd to Tsuruta in Amsterdam, but this time, he won the Gold convincingly, to the dismay of the hometown crowd.

Then, as a tune up to the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Yldefonso made a splash once more at the 1931 Phil. National Championships and the Phil.-Formosa Dual Meet, sweeping all the breaststroke golds. His only rare miss was at the 1932 Philippine Military Dept. Meet where he placed second in the 220 Yds. breaststroke event, but came back to win Gold at the Philippine National Championships.

PART II FOLLOWS

10. LOLITA R. LAGROSAS: The Philippines’ All-Around Iron Woman (active 1958-1970)

Before Elma Muros, no other female athlete was as well-rounded as LOLITA R. LAGROSAS  whose track career spanned over two decades, involving three major sports disciplines—High Jump, Broad Jump (now Long Jump) and Pentathlon.  On the side, she even played Basketball for the National Women’s Team!

Born in Naawan, Misamis Oriental on 24 August 1938,  her versatile athletic skills in provincial meets—she was an excellent jumper, hurdler, sprinter and thrower-- paved the way for her relocation to Manila, where Far Eastern University gave her a scholarship.

In her prime, the five foot four and a half, 113 lb.  Lagrosas went through 5 hours of training every day. This served her very well indeed, as she gained attention when, at age 20, she snagged a Silver in her favorite favorite High Jump at the 1958 Tokyo Asiad, behind the Japanese entry.

In 1965, right after winning Gold for High Jump and Long Jump at the National Open at Roxas City, she went to Taipei and copped 3 Gold Medals in her 3 events, and was adjudged “Most Outstanding Athlete” in the Nationalist China-Philippines dual meet. A few days after returning to Manila, Lagrosas had to fly back to Taipei to serve as a guard to the Philippine basketball team at the Asian basketball championship.

In the next Asian Games she appeared in, she earned 2 more medals for High Jump: 1966 Bangkok (Silver) and 1970 Bangkok (Bronze). Also at the 1966 and 1970 Bangkok Asiads, this Filipina Iron Woman won a pair of Bronzes in Pentathlon, the counterpart of the Men’s Decathlon, which involved completing 5 gruelling events for points: High Jump, Shotput, Hurdles, Long Jump and 200 m. dash, contested in 2 days.

Lagrosas was also a two-time Olympian, having competed in the jumping and pentathlon events at the 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico Olympics.  Her personal bests: High Jump – 1.69 m. (1966); Long Jump– 5.71m. (1970); Pentathlon – 4131 points (1968, accomplished at the Mexico Olympiad, putting her in 25^th place in a field of 33 ). After retiring from the sports, Lagrosas and served as a long time Head Coach of the track and field team of De La Salle University.

SOURCES:

List of Philippines Asian Games Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Asian_Games_medal_table

“Bumper of Bronzes”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 1 Jan. 1967, p. 20-23

“Long Distance to Fame”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 13 Oct. 1968, p. 18

“Stars in Sports”, The Sunday Rimes Magazine, 1 Jan. 1969, p 28

“Meet the Athletes”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 6 Dec. 1970, p. 6-7

9. JOHNNY JOSE, World-Class Tennis Prodigy, active 1949-1964

JOHNNY JOSE, Hall of Fame, Philippine Davis Cupper, Asian Games Medalist

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JUAN MARIA  J. JOSE or Johnny Jose (b. 8 Aug. 1938) was the son of Guillermo Jose and Encarnacion Ybañez Johnson, a former Miss Rizal who competed in the Manila Carnival Queen 1927 . Guillermo was named as the consort of the eventual winner, Luisa Marasigan, but it was with Encarnacion that he fell in love, and eventually got married with.

Guillermo was a tennis aficionado  so he encouraged his son Johnny to take up the sports. Jose started his sports career at 7 and won his first tennis title, the National Elementary Singles, at 9. He retained this title until 1951 when he copped the National Secondary titles. In high school at La Salle, Johnny, along with his older brothers, Guillermo and Emilio, were tennis standouts, who made regular winning appearances at the N.C.A.A. tennis tournaments.

In 1952, the 14 year old Jose played in England, Spain and France (under the sponsorship of well-known sportsman, Manolo Elizalde), and came home with the Junior Singles Championship of Kent, England by defeating India’s Ramanathan Krishnan, now rated as one of the top players of the world. The following year, he played in Japan and won both  the All-Japan Singles Title and Junior Doubles Championships.

In 1955, at age 17, Jose was rated as no. 3 man in Philippine tennis. He later made his debut at the Forest Hills, New York in the U.S. Open Championship. In the same year, he was named to the Philippine Davis Cup Team and remained a member of this team for 5 years (1955-1960). Jose was barely 18 when he graduated to the senior ranks, copped several collegiate titles, then went to the US where he and Gregory Grant won the Junior Doubles trophy.

In 1956, Jose teamed up with Ampon to win three major doubles titles: the PTA Open, the Metropolitan, and the National. In the same year, they won the Saigon Doubles title. A year later, Jose was honored as “Athlete of the Year” by De La Salle College, also won the PTA Open Singles title. 1957 became doubly memorable when he scored a major upset in the South Australian Championships by ousting Belgium’s no. 1 Davis cupper, Philippe Washer.

At his debut at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Johnny Jose bagged his first medal with a Bronze in the men’s singles, completing a 1-2-3 all-Filipino podium finish (Raymundo Deyro and Felicisimo Ampon took Gold and Silver, respectively).

Jose retained his No. 3 position during 1958-1959 and 1959-1960, then jumped to the no. 1 ranking when he won the national singles championship by defeating England’s top ranking player, Mike Sangster. This year (1961), he copped the Malayan Open (singles and doubles), the Malayan Interport Team, and the Singapore Open (doubles).

In 1961, Johny Jose was elected outstanding young man in sports for 1961 not only for the international prestige he has won for the Philippines but also for the fine sportsmanship and gentlemanly deportment off and on the tennis courts.

 Jose made it to his second Asian Games outing held in Jakarta in 1962. Here, he finally secured a Gold medal, trouncing Japan’s Atsushi Miyagi in a hotly-contested final match. This would be the last time that a Filipino would claim a tennis Gold in the Asiad. Jose also won Silver with partner Raymundo Deyro in the doubles, against Japan’s Myagi and M. Fujii,

 At age 26, Jose made a final appearance in the sport at the 1964 Davis Cup Eastern Inter-Zonal Championships and then retired. Johnny, a La Salle chemical engineering graduate, had also worked as head of  the laboratory control department of the Elizalde Iron and Steel Co. He also became a tennis coach, mentoring young tennis stars like the Castillejo sisters, and the women’s tennis national team.

He was inducted into his alma mater’s Lasallian Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, and was honored with a Davis Cup Commitment Award Trophy in 2013, for their long years of Philippine representation at the premiere tennis tournament. In 2016, Johnny Jose was inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.

He passed away on October 23, 2018 at St. Luke’s Hospital. He is survived by his wife Olivia and 5 children Ina, Juanchit, Annalisa, Fatima, and basketball coach Mon Jose.

SOURCES:

“TOYM”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 26 Aug. 1961, Cover

“Johnny Jose, Malayan Open Singles Champ”. Mirror Magazine, 26 Nov. 1960, p. 30

Screen grab from: Juan "Johnny" Jose BNP Paribes Commitment Award Recipient PHILTA 2013”, uploaded by Davis Cup Philippines, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9IbuYscEc

Medal Record: wikipedia

8. Heights of Triumph, Depths of Tragedy: MIGUEL SUJECO, Champion Pole Vaulter

It is to Ernest “E.J.” Obiena’s credit that Pole Vaulting has become more well-known to Filipino sports audience today. It is a field event that really does not hold much local attraction as previous winners have all been mostly Russians, Europeans and Americans. Obiena’s climb up the athletic rankings-- as high as the second best vaulter in the world, plus his 4^th place finish at his 2^nd Olympic appearance, has done much to elevate the appeal of the sport.

But long before Obiena’s spectacular ascent to pole vault stardom, Filipinos have been outperforming their Asian counterparts in the said discipline for decades, especially in the regional Far Eastern Games that began in 1913. Record books from that era show the names of champion pole vaulters  like Antonio Alo (2-time Gold medalist, FEG 1919, 1921), Numeriano Tagavilla (FEG Gold, 1925), Carlos Mejillano, T. Bucoy, S. Siao, Felipe Asuncion, and the tragic subject of this article, Miguel Sujeco.

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MIGUEL F. SUJECO (b. 29 Sep. 1910) was one of 4 children of Victoriano Sujeco and Modesta de la Fuente with roots in San Miguel, Bulacan and ties to Nueva Ecija. As a student, he trained in athletics and did the rounds of running, throwing and jumping events. Pole vault must have been his calling as at age 15, he was sent to the 1925 Far Eastern Games in Manila held in May--and surprised everyone in his first multi-nation sports outing by winning the Bronze Medal behind co-gold medalists Numeriano Tagavilla and Antonio Alo, clearing the bar at 3.35 meters (10.990 ft.).

No sooner had he settled back to school when, the next year,  he was called again to represent Nueva Ecija at the 1926 Central Luzon Athletic Association Meet. This was an annual meet with events contested by athletes from Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Central Luzon Agricutural School (C.L.A.S.). Entered in the Pole Vault, Sujeco cleared the height of 3.395 meters or 11 feet ¼ inch, which was better than his winning jump at the Far Eastern Games . This became an all-time record of the CLAA meet where it stood for over a decade.

In 1927, he was back at age 17 for the Far Eastern Championship Games in Shanghai, China. The teener improved on his leap,  resetting his personal best to 3.60 meters (11.811 ft), winning the Silver medal behind Japan’s Yonetaro Nakazawa who cleared the height of 3.675 m. and became an Olympian.

When he came of age, Sujeco joined the 47^th Infantry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) of the U.S. Army, just like top athletes David Nepomuceno and  Miguel White. He continued training and competing in national meets. At the first tryout matches held at the Rizal Memorial in April 1934, he broke the 12 foot barrier by clearing 12 ft. 1 inch.

In the first week of May, Sujeco was named to the Phil Track and Field team to compete at the 1934 Far Eastern Games in Manila, which went underway from May 16 to 20. Japan’s Sueo Oue copped the gold at 3.96 m (12.992 ft.) , China’s Fu Baolu 2^nd, ad another Japanese, Iwao Matsumoto 3^rd.

Not to be daunted, at the 1936 Army Track Meet (or McKinley Games) held in December, Sujeco broke the Philippine pole vault  record, resetting it to 3.895 meters (12 .78 inches) that would have won Silver at the 1934 FEG.

Another milestone in Sujeco’s life happened the next year, when he married 19 year old Rosario Hamoy Labisig on 20 January 1937.Sadly, they would barely have 5 years of connubial bliss. When World War II reached the Philippines in 1942, Miguel Sujeco was called into active service.

As a member of the  57th Infantry (PS), he was in the regiment that tried to repel the Japanese all throughout the Bataan Peninsula. He was reported missing in action, and then presumed to have died on 23 May 1942. Sgt. Miguel Sujeco’s name is inscribed on the “Walls of the Missing” memorial  at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the capital district. Leaping all his life to reach the sky, pole vaulter Miguel Sujeco, by his tragic, but honorable death, has vaulted to immortality.

SOURCES:

Central Luzon Athletic Association Program 1934-1935

The Tribune, various issues: 5 Feb. 1934;  2 April 1934, p.7; 20 April 1934, p.6; 8 May 1934, 9 May 1934, p. 9; p. 9; 21 June 1935, p.6; 25 Oct. 1934;

La Vanguardia, 25 April 1935, Rotogravure section

FindAGrave, Miguel Sujeco

American Battles Monument Commission, https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/sujeco%3Dmiguel

Gloria Garchitorena-Goloy, Golden Era of Sports, SPORTS ISSUE, Sunday Times Magazine, Sept. 1963, p. 14

Athletics at the 1925 Far Eastern Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1925_Far_Eastern_Championship_Games

7. Reflections of a Life in the Fast Lane: HAYDEE COLOSO-ESPINO, Asia’s Swim Queen

In her time, she was hailed as the country’s greatest Filipina swimmer. She swam for the Philippines in 3 editions of the Asian Games, collecting 10 medals, in all colors. At age 18, she held 5 Philippine swimming records, 4 of them for individual events, In 1960, she qualified for the Olympics, competing against the world’s best in Rome. She was such a prolific producer of medals in the pool that she was dubbed as Asia’s Swim Queen, a title that HAYDEE COLOSO-ESPINO embraced and proudly wore all her life. After all, no Filipina swimmer has yet to surpass her colossal triumphs in the water, the lone Filipina triple gold medalist in swimming at the continental Asian Games.

Haydee was born on 28 August 1937 in Dueñas, Iloilo, the daughter of Atty. Lorenzo Coloso & Alicia Lanestosa Coloso. She was not exactly to the water born; at age 10, she came close to drowning when a boatload of picknickers she was with, capsized. As a precaution, her father gave her swimming pointers “so I won’t drown helplessly”, she recalled in an interview. From frolicking on the beach, she developed a deeper interest in swimming and began taking formal lessons.

By the time she was 13 and in high school, Haydee was competing and winning in national meets. She became a star swimmer of  Iloilo City College (now University of Iloilo), ably coached by Mr. Leon Tirol. Her rigorous training consisted of two hours of swimming before dawn and two more hours at sunset. She was soon surprising her coach and mentors with her fast clockings. Her best time in her pet 100 meter freestyle event qualified her for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, but at age 15, she was deemed underaged for international competitions.

Nonetheless, the aquatic feats of the young teen caught the attention of sports officials from Far Eastern University which boasts of one of the best women’s swim teams in the country. Haydee thus moved to Manila to take up Physical Education at FEU and joined the swim team coached by Mr. Freddy Cruz and Mrs. Dolores Alforte, who also acted as the girls’ chaperone. Under the guidance of her coach, she improved her times significantly in inter-collegiate swimming championships, and started amassing medals for her school, to the delight of her mentors.

Haydee even put her swimming prowess to good use by moonlighting as a stunt swimmer. In 1953, she doubled for Nida Blanca for the actress’s  swimming scenes in the 1953 movie “Hiyasmin”. Indeed, more exciting times ahead awaited this talented Ilongga who was now making a splash in the big city. With more stiff competition to contend with, Haydee was pushed to give her best, and her hard work paid off when she broke 2 national records. For the 100 meters free, she clocked 1 minute 11 seconds. This led to her being named to the Philippine Swimming Team for the 2nd Asian Games in Manila.

1954 was a banner year for Haydee as it was her first time to compete under the Philippine flag. She was entered in her favorite 100 meter freestyle event. Bolstered by the confidence of breaking 2 Philippine records, she vanquished the top Japanese bets, Tomiko Atarashi and Olympian Shizue Miyabe, to win Gold with the time of 1:09.7 min., shattering her personal best.  She did so in the last 5 meters of the race, mustering up strength to pip them at the finish, thrilling the hometown crowd, and her mother Alicia, who fainted in disbelief at her come-from-behind victory.

She returned to the pool to win the 100 m. butterfly Gold with a Games Record of 1:28.3 min. She was trailed by teammates Norma Yldefonso (daughter of legendary Olympic medalist swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso) and Sandra von Giese for a rare 1-2-3 all-Filipino finish. At the 4 x 100 m. freestyle finals, she snagged her 3^rd medal—a Silver for the Philippines—shared with Sonia von Giese, Gertrudes Vito and Nimfa Lim behind the Japanese quartet.

Suddenly, Haydee Coloso became the toast of the country, and the Philippine Sportswriters Association acclaimed her as the Women’s Swimmer of the Year. The teener was as much thrilled to receive the award as meeting then undefeated heavyweight boxing legend Rocky Marciano, who was invited to grace the affair. Haydee would go on to win the same award for the next 2 years.

As these significant moments in her sporting life were happening, Haydee’s love life was also unfolding. In Manila, she had settled in a boarding house beside Philippine Women’s University along Taft Avenue, just a short commute to FEU. As luck would have it, a fellow Ilonggo was boarding there as well, reviewing for the upcoming bar exams.

Young army captain Rodolfo Espino, son of former mayor Marcos J. Espino of Leganes, struck up a friendship with Haydee, which soon blossomed into a real romance. Just after the 2nd Asian Games, the two eloped, much to the initial shock of their parents. After all, she had been scheduled to represent the country at that year’s 1954 Melbourne Olympics. This did not materialize however, as by the time the global sporting event opened in Australia later in the year, Haydee was already pregnant with her first baby, Daisy.

After Daisy’s birth, the young mother resumed her swimming career and whipped herself back into shape daily at the Rizal Memorial pool. At the start of 1955, the prodigious swimmer held 5 Philippine national records: 100 m. freestyle at 1:09.5 mins. (1st heat, 2nd Asian Games-Manila, 5 May 1954); 200 m. freestyle at 2:45.5 mins. (National Open Championship, Manila, 9 Jan. 1954); 400 m. freestyle (National Collegiate Championship at 5:51.8 mins. (FEU, Manila, 17 Dec. 1953); 100 m. butterfly at 1:27.0 mins. (National Open Championship, 7 Jan. 1954), 4 x 100 m. relay at 5:15.6 mins. (with Sonia von Giese, G. Vito, N. Lim, 2nd Asian Games, May 5 and 7, 1954).

 By the time the 1958 3^rd Asian Games were announced to open in Tokyo, Japan, Haydee was back in fighting form. Her stint at the games in Tokyo proved to be her most productive yet, winning 4 medals: Individual Silver for the 100 m. free (1:06.4 min.) and 200 meter freestyle (2:32.2 min); Silver in 4x100 m. free (4:50.4 min), and a precious Gold in the 4 x100 medley relay, where she anchored the team in a new games record of 5:22.2 mins. In one rare moment, Haydee recalled, the Philippine delegation came face to face with Emperor Hirohito of Japan, who had invited the athletes in the spirit of peace and goodwill.

1960 would prove to be a historic milestone for Haydee as she finally realized her dream to be an Olympian. The Philippines sent a delegation of 5 women athletes, 3 of whom were swimmers: Sandra von Giese, Gertrudes Lozada and Haydee Coloso-Espino, who, at 23 was the oldest member of the team.

Arriving in Rome, she was starstruck to see world-class athletes—from American heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay, and fellow swimmers like the celebrated Olympic multi-medalist Dawn Fraser of Australia, who practiced alongside her in the training pool. During the qualifying heats, she was placed in Heat 4, against the American champion freestyler Chris von Saltza, who would later place 2nd to Fraser and win 3 Gold medals. Haydee clocked 1:07.8 in the 100 m. free and placed 6th in heat 4, failing to advance to the semifinals. Overall, she placed 25^th in a field of 32 swimmers.

Of her first and only Olympic experience, she reflected: “At least, hindi naman ako last! My trip to Rome was not without its high points. We visited many churches and, being from a Catholic country, we were given a special audience by Pope John Paul XXIII after officiating Mass at Castle Gandolfo. That was a historic occasion, and the news landed in the papers back home”.\\

She returned to the country a proud and fulfilled Olympian, and went on to continue with her studies and training. After finish her Physical Education course, she was immediately taken in by her alma mater, FEU, to handle P.E. swimming classes. She would also take assignments in Lyceum and Araullo High School. Weekends were devoted to training at the Rizal Stadium pool.

In 1962, Haydee was called again to lead the Philippine swimming campaign at the 4^th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia from 24 August to 4 September 1962. At age 25, she would bring home 3 medals to solidify her reputation as Asia’s premiere Swim Queen –a Team Silver for the 4 x 100 m. freestyle (shared with Corazon Lozada, Gertrudes Lozada, and Connie Paredes), a Team Bronze for the 4 x 100 medley relay (with Tessie Lozada, Gertrudes Lozada and Dolores Agustin), and an Individual Bronze for the 100 m. women’s freestyle.

 The 4^th Asiad would be the last international swimming event she would compete in as a Philippine national athlete. After all, the young mother’s priorities had shifted to her growing family. She would have 7 kids in all: after Daisy came Debbie, Dennis, Dindo, Dino, Dwight and Daphne. She retired from competitive swimming to focus on raising her kids and establishing her teaching career at Far Eastern University.  But her love for the water never waned, she continued to swim at the Rizal pool whenever she could. Second son Dindo seemed to have inherited her swimming genes as he became an accomplished swimmer, with breast stroke as his forte.

 As a swim teacher, she kept an eye on promising swimmers and it is a little-known fact that she discovered young William “Billy” Wilson, who, at age 18, would go on to rule the 200 m. men’s freestyle event at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, India, swim in the 1984 L.A. Olympics, and become a bemedalled SEA Games swimmer. Haydee also chaperoned the Philippine swimming team to several international meets and was sent to the U.S. to attend a swimming seminar in 1985.

Haydee had a long and fruitful career in education, teaching continuously in Far Eastern University, her alma mater, until 1993. That same year, the family migrated to Canada. She would return to the Philippines for good in 2007 and settled back to her home province of Iloilo.

In 2016, Haydee Coloso-Espino, the country’s greatest Filipina swimmer, received the highest accolade by being inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame, the first Filipina swimmer to be installed in the hallowed list.

Looking back at her glorious career and the rewards of swimming, she said: “I am glad I have contributed something to Philippine sports”. At the same time, she pondered,  “I wonder…had the Incentive Act been given in my time, why maybe, I could have been richer than Hidylin Diaz! Now there are only 17 of us pensioners alive, with a small monthly pension of Php 5,000. I hope the incentive act will be improved. That's the irony of life. Just giving out of my sentiments. Anyways thanks just the same. Thanks for the recognition of being in the "Hall of Fame"

Haydee continued to be active despite a mild stroke she suffered in her 80s. She used a walker to get around Iloilo, and discovered the wonders of technology, including cellphones and facebook, where she would post pictures of her family, her daily activities, her travels and nostalgic photos of her wonder years.  “At least, I still have use of my fingers, and I have textmates to share stories with!”, she quips with a tone of gratitude.

Just about to weeks from her 84^th birthday, the greatest Filipina swimmer of all time passed away on 12 August 2021 in her home province, surrounded by her loved ones and family. The feats of Haydee Coloso-Espino, whether in, and out of the water,  remain unsurpassed, and her life journey stands as a testament to the spirit of a Filipina, empowered early by the love of her sports,  to give her best every day, test her limits, and then exceed them. All these she accomplished in the multiple roles she chose to assume: as an athlete,  an educator, a wife,  a mother.

Haydee Coloso-Espino found triumphs amidst her trials, successes amidst her losses, and the perfect balance that allowed her to live a long, purposeful and peaceable life. Her story should thus inspire the next generation of Philippine swimmers to dream beyond big, by putting country first before personal glory. Medals will tarnish, and records will fall, but the nobility of purpose which she pursued with all vigor and heart, is for her, a reward more fulfilling, more enduring. Her legacy she left behind is sure to live on and on.

SOURCES:

Progress 1955, Year End Report on Philippine Sports

Series of FB interviews via FB messenger with Mrs Haydee Coloso-Espino, between 28 Aug. 2017 to 26 November 2018.

Interview with Mr. Dwight "Ike"  Espino, son of Mrs. H. Espino

Photos from Mrs. Haydee Coloso-Espino Archives, used with permission. All others, Author's Collection.

6. From Boys Town to the 1968 Mexico Olympics: Gymnast NORMAN V. HENSON

NORMAN VENZON HENSON overcame a difficult childhood to become a world
class Philippine Olympian, thanks to Boys Town's gymnastic program. 1968.

Norman Venzon Henson’s Olympic story is an inspiring one, that began with a troubled childhood in Arayat, a stay at Manila Boys Town where he discovered gymnastics, and his eventual salvation by the sport that would propel him to the top and earn him a place in the world’s premiere sporting competition.

Born on 3 Mar. 1950 to parents Domingo Henson and Leonora Venzon, the young Henson grew up in the sleepy barrio of Mesulu, in the foothills of Arayat town. He grew up in comfortable surroundings; his father was a member of the landed Henson brothers who owned vast farmlands and many businesses including operating a major bus line.

One would expect a Henson son to walk the straight and narrow path, but for some reason, Norman Henson would stray from that road, and at a very you age, fell into the company of wayward boys his age that would cause a rift between him and his parents. So the young Henson did the unthinkable—he ran away from home. The delinquent child who was not even in his teens, was found by his distraught parents after some time, but he kept running away, beyond their control.

In the end, Henson was taken by his parents to Manila Boys Town, a place for  voluntarily surrendered children, orphans, vagrants and teens. Boys Town was to build a reputation as a reformatory school for errant boys because of its sports and education programs. Ran by priests headed by Fr. Jose A. Mirasol, Boys Town proved to be safe haven where boys could discover and develop their  sense of self-worth and belonging.

One sport discipline that the institution was known for was gymnastics. By 1960, under Fr. Mirasol, Boys Town had produced competitive gymnasts that were good enough to compete at the national level, and before long, they were winning championships.

As a ward of Boys Town, Henson enrolled in the sport, and before long, he was hooked in gymnastics, having found an enjoyable outlet for his energy, at last.  At just 5 feet 3 and a half inches tall, and weighing 128 pounds, Henson’s physique was perfect for the sport. Slowly, he learned to build his strength by chinning bars, and learned to leap, tumble, flip and somersault. By so doing, Henson also learned to build his character, self-discipline, and his spirit of sportsmanship.

In 1962, to promote the sport, the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) was organized, headed by Julian Malonzo as its first President. Sotero A. Tejada—who would be acknowledged as the Father of Philippine Gymnastics---was elected Secretary-Treasurer, while Boys Town coach, Fr. Mirasol became Chairman of the Men’s Technical Committee.

The first National Competition was launched in 1963 by the GAP, open to secondary public schools. Gymnastics then was already a staple sport at the UAAP. Norman Henson was named to the Boys Town Team, along with Ernesto Beren and Julian Indon. The trio of teens created a sensation when they swept all their events in their age division.

Philippine gymnastics got a major boost when, in the same year, GAP applied for international affiliation with the Fêdêration Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), the world governing body for that sport. Sec. Sotero Tejada not only got a membership, but also convinced the world federation to allow Filipino gymnasts to compete in the next year’s Olympics to be held in Asia for the first time. And so, in 1964, 3 Filipino gymnasts made history by competing at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics—a first for the Philippines: the FEU champion Evelyn Magluyan, Fortunato Payao, and Demetrio Pastrana.

Norman could have easily qualified with his superb gymnastic skills, but at 14, he was too young to compete in the Olympics.  Although  enrolled at the Gregorio Perfecto High School in Tondo, he continued to step up his training. In 1967, Norman and his teammates—Ernesto Beren, Raul de Belen and Rolando Mirasol—were invited to compete in Copenhagen, Denmark which was hosting the International School Games—the Hapniad, as it was called-- held in connection with the city’s 800th anniversary. It was an exciting time for Henson as it was his first time to journey to Europe. When it was his turn to take his place on the gymnasium mat, Henson mesmerized the crowd with a Floor Exercise routine that garnered him the Gold Medal, besting gymnasts from ten countries.

Finally, the Olympic year arrived in 1968 and, at age 18, Norman V. Henson, with his Boys Town team mate Ernesto Beren, were named to the 2-man Philippine National Team to compete in Mexico City, Mexico. It was a year of many firsts-- the 19th edition of the Olympics was the first Olympic Games to be staged in Latin America, held from October 12-27, the first to be held in a Spanish-speaking nation. For the Philippines, it marked the first time that a Filipino sat in the gymnastics judging panel, in the person of Sec. Sotero A. Tejada, and only the second time that the country sent its male gymnasts to the quadrennial event.

Of his star athlete, Sec. Tejada opined,” Norman Henson is expected to make a good showing in the floor exercises and rings”. At the National Auditorium, with 117 of the world’s best gymnasts participating, 14 different artistic gymnastics events were contested, eight for men and six for women. Henson saw action in the Men’s Rings, Parallel Bars, Horse Vault, Floor Exercises and Individual All-Around. The valiant duo gave their best, but at the end of their routines, their scores put them in the last 2 places of their qualifying events.

The gymnastics competition in the Mexico would be the last Philippine participation in the sports, with the institution of qualifying world cup events by the gymnastics federation. No Filipino gymnast has managed to survive the stringent standards—until the young Carlos Yulo came into the scene at the Tokyo 2020 games, 55 years later,

Post-Mexico, Henson continued to be active in competition. He practically trained and lived at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which would be the venue of the 1971 National Open Gymnastics Championship held from April 29-May 1, 1971. This time, he was narrowly beaten in the All-Around by rising star Rolando Albuera. He would devote his time in the sport that he loved, and became a trainor and coach of many budding gymnasts in the 1980s, including members of the Philippine National Gymnastic Team. He, himself, was married to Teresita Jose, a former gymnast from the University of the East, whom he met back in high school. They would have 4 children: Norman Jr., Ethelson, Jacqueline and Pauline.

His coaching career was hampered by a series of strokes, and he would pass away in April 2014. Henson may not have won an Olympic medal,  but he certainly gained something of greater value from gymnastics, making a complete turnaround of an early life that was threatening to go awry.  The redemptive power of sports put him back on track, enabling Norman Venzon Henson to win decisively, in the game of Life.

SOURCES:

Special Thanks to: ETHELSON J. HENSON, son of Norman Henson, for additional information about his father.

About GAP: http://philippinegymnastics.org/about-gap/

Manila Boys Town Complex: https://www.coursehero.com/file/p613gnt/Manila-Boystown-Complex-is-a-government-owned-institution-and-facility-is/

Boys Town Regrets Over Lost Glory: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2006/06/14/341837/boys-town-regrets-over-lost-glory

Sunday Times Magazine, “Well Balanced: Ph Gymansts in the Olympics”, Oct. 13, 1968. P. 34

5. First Filipina Olympians: THE FAB FOUR OF THE 1956 MELBOURNE OLYMPICS

Over half a century ago, four Filipina athletes distinguished themselves by becoming the first women from our country to compete in the quadrennial Olympics. It had taken them 32 years to get to Melbourne, the site of the 16^th Olympiad. 

In the 6 Olympics since 1924—when the first Filipino—sprinter David Nepomuceno, made his historic appearance in Paris, all the delegates sent to subsequent editions have been male athletes—swimmers, tracksters, shooters, weightlifters. The last Olympics before Melbourne had an all-male Philippine cast of 25 athletes. That changed when 4 nationally-ranked Filipina athletes were welcomed to join the games for the first time.

Let’s meet these pioneering Filipina athletes who were the first to flex their Pinay Power, long before the golden triumph of Hidylin Diaz in the game of all games that is the Olympics.

FIRST FOUR. The first ever Filipina Olympians--Francisca Sanopal, Manolita Cinco,Getrudes Lozada and Jocelyn von Giese, march proudly into the Melbourne Olympic Stadium, with M. Shea, an official.

**********

FRANCISCA SANOPAL, Athletics (80m hurdles)

The Philippines’ top female low hurdler of the 1950s, Francisca Sanopal (b. 1931) was unbeatable in her specialty—the 80 meter hurdles. The national champion was sent to Melbourne to compete in her favorite event plus the century dash. But it was decided to scratch out of the 100 and concentrate on the hurdles where she had better chances. She ran in the qualifying Heat 5, clocking in at 11.8 secs. (hand-timed) or 12.15 (automatic time), good enough for 5th place. Francisca bettered her time in 1957, with an 11.4 clocking.  In 1958, she made her presence felt at the Asian Games in Tokyo, winning two Silvers (80 m. hurdles, behind Japan’s Michiko Iwamoto in 4x 100 meter relay, with Inocencia Solis, Rogelia Ferrer, and Irene Penuela.

MANOLITA CINCO, Athletics, (80m hurdles)

Manolita Cinco (born 1932), like Francisca, was a topnotch low hurdler at 80 meters, but she was also a champion sprinter. In Melbourne, she was supposed to compete in the 100 m. dash as well, but she scratched out, in favor of the low hurdles where teammate Francisca Sanopal was already entered. She ran in Heat 3, and registered a hand-time clocking of 12.1 seconds (12.20, automatic time), placing 7th and last. This experience served her well, as Manolita was won the Bronze two years later at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, behind Francisca, who secured the Silver. A cancer survivor later in life, Manolita is married to Alejano Dopeno. Of the athletes of her generation, she says: “Disiplinado  kami noon at  masunurin  sa  coach. Walang  incentives  na  pera pero serious kami  lahat" (Back then, we were disciplined and we obeyed our coach. We didn’t receive any incentive,  but we were all serious).

GERTRUDES LOZADA, Swimming (100m, 400m freestyle)

Gertrudes  “Tuding” Lozada, born in 1943, came from the famous swimming Lozada Family which originated swim schools in the country. Two other sisters, Corazon and Tessie would become world-class swimmers like her. But it was Tuding who was first to display her skill in the pool, winning races early in various age meets in the country. Soon, she was beating adults at sprints and middle-distance swimming races. Tuding surprised everyone when she was named as member--and flag bearer-- of the Philippine swimming team for the 1956 Melbourne Olympiad—she was just 13.

When the Philippine Team landed in Melbourne, Tuding became a media sensation. Newsmen covering the world’s premiere sporting event called the young teener, “Baby of the Olympics”.  She was widely photographed and even athletes from other countries sought out the Filipina swimming prodigy to make her acquaintance. Tuding competed in two events—the 100 meter freestyle where she placed last in her heat, and in the 400 meter free, where she placed 6th.

Tuding would have a long career—winning Gold and Silver at the 1958 Asian Games  (400 meter free, 4x100 m. freestyle); she was just 15. She would win more medals at the 1962 Asian Games (Silver, Bronze for 4x100 free, 4x100 individual medley). Tuding , the youngest Philippine Olympian in history (Akiko Thompson was almost 14 when she competed in her first Olympics in Seoul), retired from competitive swimming shortly in the 1970s, and today, she runs a swimming school bearing her name.

JOCELYN VON GIESE, Swimming (100m backstroke)

Jocelyn vin Giese (b. 1936) belongs to the sensational swimming von Giese sisters of the Philippines. Sisters Sonia, Sandra (b. 15 Nov. 1939), and Sylvia all made the national team that competed abroad, with the 2 elder girls making it to the Olympics. Of German-Filipino parentage, the four were nieces of famous actress Paraluman (Sigrid Von Giese,  in real life) which was played up in media every time they competed.

 In 1956, Jocelyn qualified for the Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia and went on to compete in the 100 meter backstroke event. She swam in Heat 2 of the preliminary races, clocking in at 1:20.0, placing 7th and last. But it was a good experience for the 21-year old, as in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games, Jocelyn, along with sister Sandra, Victoria Cagayat and Haydee Coloso won Gold with a time of  5:22.2 minutes after the disqualification of the Japanese team.Meanwhile, Sonia made it to the Rome Olympics in 1960. There have been many swimming siblings in Philippine swimming like the Lozadas, Kiunisalas, Borjas and Papas, but none as celebrated in their time as the beautiful sisters von Giese, led by Jocelyn von Giese.

SOURCES:

Manolita Cinco: http://manilastandard.net/mobile/article/151022

PROGRESS ’56, Sports in Post-War Philippines, p. 229, for photos of Manolita Cinco, Francisca Sanopal, von Giese

Photo of Gertrudes Lozada, Sunday Times Magazine, 1970.

www.sports-reference.com (Bio,Stats, Results), for Francisca, Sanopal, Manolita Cinco, Gertrudes Lozada, Jocelyn von Giese,