Athens 2004: Fani Halkia’s Golden Lap

One of my most indelible memories of the 2004 Athens Olympics is Fani Halkia‘s gold medal-winning performance in the 400m low hurdles. With the suspension of Greece’s best medal hopes, Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou, for faking a motorcycle accident to miss a drug test, Halkia’s golden lap was a welcome change from all the controversy. Never mind that Halkia failed a doping test in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, her victory in front of tens of thousands of Greeks is truly priceless.

I had goosebumps just listening to the cheers of “Hellas (Greece)! Hellas! Hellas!”

It’s remarkable to note that the Australian hurdler, Jana Pittman-Rawlinson, finished a respectable 3rd place despite having knee surgery weeks before the Olympics.

Additional links:

IAAF write-up

BBC News article on Halkia’s failed drug test

Photo credits:

IAAF

Coasting

When I came out of retirement back in February, my original plan involved competing in the National Open (which I missed because of injury) and the PATAFA Relays. After the culmination of the latter in October/November, I would then shift my focus to the 2011 ABL season. With the fate of the PATAFA Weekly Relays still uncertain, my chances of competing is on precarious ground.

I’m tempted to just leave everything and quit the sport again. Those Bacchanalian urgings are becoming ever so strong. But then again, a booming voice bellows “GO OUT AND TRAIN” each time I feel too lazy.

During my sprints training in Moro last night, I found it remarkable that I’m still at it, almost 6 months since that fateful February afternoon. Although I find the entire enterprise absurd, to some extent, the experience of training alone has been therapeutic – and self-discerning. Just like in the years past, the couple of hours I spend training after work are the highlight of my day. Despite the deafening solitude, I look forward to all those running, jumping and lifting.

The least I can do is to continue training as if I still have a track meet to compete in. In the coming months, I’ll be riding the momentum – coasting, so to speak. Whatever happens, I’ll have the benefit of having a sound fitness base come basketball season.

With these thoughts in mind, I did an easy sprinting workout in Moro last night. I ran 4, 100m sprints at 85% effort, resting a good 3 minutes in between. I wasn’t as exhausted as my previous workouts, thanks to the shorter distance. However, the joggers at the cramped, 200m indoor oval prevented me from shifting to higher gears, for fear of hitting inadvertent fellow runners (at times like these, I miss the army of teammates I once had).

I then headed out to our good ole watering hole across the street to unwind. I had a couple of beers with a couple of friends – a refreshing change from my usual Tuesday night routine.

Track workout:

Combine running drills (Ankling + high knees, Butt kick + butt kick wall)

4x100m sprints (85% effort, 3 minutes rest-in-between)

Mika Santos answers the 10-for-10 quiz

Mika Santos answers the 10-for-10 quiz!

Santos started as volleyball player back in high school. In college, she gave track & field a shot. Although she had decent sprinting ability, her best event was definitely the pole vault. With her gymnastics background, Santos was tailor-made for athletics’ most technical discipline.

About a year after she started training for pole, Santos broke Marestella Torres‘ Philippine record with her 3.20m* leap in the Hong Kong Intercity Athletics Challenge. The comely Ateneo graduate competed in the 2005 Manila SEA Games.

The multi-talented Santos currently works as a travel writer, dabbles in the occasional print or TV ad and hosts her own travel-oriented show.

1.) How did you get started with track?
Felt I was too short to join the volleyball team

2.) What’s the most memorable moment of your track career?
Representing the Philippines for SEA Games 2005

3.) What’s your life-long dream?
Travel to Africa!

4.) Let’s lighten up a bit! What would you rather wear and why? Short shorts or tights?
Depends what event.. for long jump tights of course. For everything else, short shorts. Too hot in the Philippines!

5.) If you could be a Glee cast member, who will you be? And what song will you sing?
… I don’t know but I’d definitely date Puck.

6.) How I Met Your Mother or F.R.I.E.N.D.S.?
Both.. but FRIENDS is the classic I grew up with.

7.) Favorite movie?
Lots.. to name one, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

8.) Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars

9.) If you could spend the rest of your days at any place in the world, which would you choose?
Siargao Island

10.) Name three things you just can’t live without.
Sunblock, laptop (work!), and salsa shoes

11.) Fill in the blanks: I’ll run an ultra marathon just to go out with _________.
Diego Luna

Thank you for answering, Mika!

* – Deborah Samson owns the current Philippine record of 4.11m.

Photo credits:

Mika Santos