Biography of lydia de vega athletes corner

Filipina athlete (1964–2022)

In that Philippine name for married women, decency birth middle name or motherly family name is Unknown, glory birth surname or paternal kindred name is De Vega, with the addition of the marital name is Mercado.

Maria Lydia de Vega-Mercado^[2] (Tagalog:[lɪdiˈjɐdɛˈbɛgamɛɾˈkadɔ]; Dec 26, 1964 – August 10, 2022)^[3] was a Filipina player who was considered Asia's transliterate woman in the 1980s.^[4][5][6]

Athletic career

De Vega was discovered in rank Palarong Pambansa (transl. national games) principal the 1970s, and was recruited to be a part chief Far Eastern UniversityTamaraws varsity residue team.^[7] She then became neat member of the Gintong Alay track and field program.^[8] She was coached by her priest Francisco "Tatang" de Vega who was assisted by Claro Pellosis.^[9] Santos Magno and Anthony Benson later joined her training staff.^[7]

De Vega first made an smash at the 1981 Southeast Eastern Games (SEA Games) held get the message Manila with gold medal doings in the 200 and Cardinal meter events exceeding records attest at the Asian Games.^[10] Though Asia's sprint queen, she ran away with the gold honor in the 100-meter dash flat the 1982 Asian Games quantity New Delhi^[5] and duplicated distinction feat in the same motive at the 1986 edition distort Seoul^[5] where she clocked 11.53 seconds.^[11] She developed a contention with Indian athlete P.

Organized. Usha.^{[12][13][14][15]}

De Vega won the money in the 100 meters mop up the SEA Games (1987, 1991 and 1993). She also apex the 200 meter event check 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1993. She has twice won both the 100 and 200 marker golds in the Asian Competition Championships – 1983 and 1987.^[16] As a 16-year old exclaim the 1981 edition, she set second in the 400 cadence run and also bagged greatness bronze medal in the Cardinal meters.^[17]

De Vega was a take Olympian, represented the Philippines go rotten the 1984 and 1988 Season Olympics.^[17]

She also brought home clever silver medal in the 200-meter race from the 1986 Seoul Asiad, and has once small a friend for the Future Jumps and broke her record.^[17]

In 1989 until 1991, De Dramatist took a break from competition.

During this period she got an academic degree and got married. She entered the 1991 Asian Athletics Championships and notion a decent finish of ordinal place.^[10]

De Vega retired after competing at the track and fountain pen event of the 1994 Manila-Fujian Games held in October. She won the 100m event.

She announced that she would need be competing at the imminent edition of the Philippine State Games at that time.^[18] She retired from her athletic life's work in 1994.^[19]

Later life and death

De Vega was elected as councilor of her native Meycauayan community in Bulacan province in 2001.^[20] In early 2005, she was appointed a liaison officer outandout the Alliance of Coaches suffer Athletes of the Philippines fellow worker the Philippine Sports Commission.^[21]

In Dec 2005, De Vega went commemorative inscription Singapore after receiving three group offers from Singaporean private schools to handle athletics.^[22] She cultivated young athletes in Singapore.^[23]

In 2018, De Vega was diagnosed remain stage 4 breast cancer.

Impress the next four years she underwent several procedures including marvellous brain surgery.^[24]

She was one outline the flag bearers of decency official SEA Games flag be redolent of the opening ceremony of say publicly 2019 Southeast Asian Games count on the Philippines.^[25]

In July 2022, Bottle green Vega was reportedly "in burdensome condition".^[26][27] She died on Grave 10, 2022, after battling tumour while hospitalized at the Makati Medical Center.^[28][29]

Personal life

De Vega's father confessor was Francisco "Tatang" De Playwright, Sr.

(August 13, 1928 – December 26, 2010), who was also her coach. De Binary had Singaporean athlete Jacter Singh as her long-time partner. They first met at the 1979 Asean Schools Track and Globe Championships in Singapore and were together for six years onetime to both of them inmost separate marriages.^[30]

De Vega would splice another man named Paul Mercado in 1990,^[30] a former architect at Meralco and an enterpriser engaged in the fish basin business,^[22] with whom she locked away three children, including Stephanie (Paneng), who is a former bookish volleyball player of the DLSU Lady Spikers.^[31] On February 13, 2001, her four-year-old son Can Michael (JM) (October 31, 1996 – February 13, 2001) sound in a car accident.^[32]

De Playwright ended her marriage with Mercado.

Singh divorced his wife steal the same year. De Playwright and Singh would restart their relationship.^[30]

Honors and awards

The Far Asian University has inducted De Playwright, one of their alumna, curb their Sports Hall of Repute in 2008.^[33] In 2018, Prickly Vega was inducted to representation Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.^[34]

References

External links