By REY VIRGILIO LACHICA
Somewhere up in heaven, David Nepomuceno must be smiling delightedly not because he is looking down at Metz’s treasured artifacts – from Roman to Renaissance times – on display in various places, including the famed Gothic Metz Cathedral.
But it is because majority of the 22 Filipino athletes who qualified for the Paris Olympics are now training earnestly in the city’s modern facility – two weeks before the race for the global athletic supremacy begins.
In fact, Tokyo Games silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, along with six other Filipino athletes who all dreamed of fame and richness in this world, arrived in Metz on June 26, exactly a month before what could be the best and enthralling opening rites in decades take place in the heart of the enchanting city.
Nepomuceno’s fervent wish for Filipino athletes is to have long, systematic and smooth preparations for the Big One – the Olympics.
Well, his wishes were granted by the Philippine Olympic Committee no less.
But who is Nepomuceno?
Unknown to many – the young ones especially – the pride of Oas, Albay – was the first Filipino – also reportedly the first from Southeast Asian region – to compete in the quadrennial event.
Coincidentally, it happened 100 years ago when the City of Light hosted the Olympics for the second time – the first one was in 1900.
Nepomuceno, who would become a beacon of hope for the next generation with his sprinting prowess, had a vault of harrowing experiences heading to what became the fashion capital of the world.
His ordeal was recounted in a magazine, and was quoted as saying: “Sana yung mga susunod sa akin ay hindi maranasan ang naranasan ko,”
Since ocean liners and trains were still then the main mass transportation methods of that time, Nepomuceno, 24 years old then, reportedly took 33 days to reach Paris.
Yes, 33 days of sea voyage on board a Chinese vessel that encountered all kinds of water turbulence. And as expected, he arrived dead tired and had little time – only seven days to recover and prepare.
It was not enough.
And to make matters worse, most of his rivals were already there when he arrived along with coach and sports administrator Dr. Regino Ylanan.
There were conflicting reports about his performances in both the 100m and 200m, but it was in the Manila Far Eastern Games in 1925 where he made a name and became a legent.
Nepomuceno sent the crowd in frenzied celebration he won the 200m gold and silver in the century dash. He also did incredibly well in the 1927 Shanghai Games, winning the gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m.
With the way the athletes are now being prepared and pampered – of course with limitations – for big battles ahead, Nepomuceno, who died at a young age of 39 as a US sailor, should be happy by now – at peace now after his wishes were fully granted.
POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino readily agreed.
“For sure it’s the answer to his fervent wish,” said Tolentino in a text message. “For sure, he is now happy up there with what we are doing for the delegates for the Paris Games. We are setting a template for the future and the next generation,” added Tolentino, who, during his first watch at the POC, saw weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo winning the country’s first gold medal in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.
It was also in the Tokyo Games where the country produced its best ever finish – thanks to the silver from Petecio and Paalam and the bronze from Eumir Marcial.
