Lydia de Vega, the ‘Golden Girl’ of Philippine athletics, passes on
Philippine track and field legend Lydia De Vega-Mercado has died after a years-long battle with breast cancer.
She was 57.
De Vega-Mercado’s daughter and volleyball player Stephanie Mercadode Koenigswarter confirmed the news late Wednesday evening.
It was also De Vega-Mercado’s daughter that made public the multititled track star’s health status last month when she asked for financial assistance to help ease the monetary burden of De Vega-Mercado’s illness.
De Vega-Mercado, a ninetime Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, had been battling the disease since 2018 and recently underwent brain surgery.
De Vega-Mercado was dubbed “Asia’s fastest woman” in the 1980s. She competed in various events like the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter dashes and in Long Jump.
She retired in 1994 when she was 30 years old.
The pride of Meycauayan, Bulacan represented the Philippines in the Asian Atheltics Championships and the Asian Games where she hauled six gold medals.
She was also a two-time Olympian, having represented the Philippines in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics.
An outpouring of tributes followed, including one from someone who discovered the fallen heroine—former Gintong Alay head Michael Keon.
“I’m very sad that Lydia passed away and I hope her passing should not be in vain,” said Keon, a second-term Mayor of Laoag City. “She’s a pioneer and she’s perhaps the most be-medalled Filipino athletes, not just in track and field, but in all sports.
“She must be remembered not in vain,” he added.
Renato Unso and Elma Muros-Posadas, former Gintong Alay teammates, said De
Vega-Mercado is a great athlete and a greater person.
“It’s sad to lose someone like Lydia de Vega. She’s generous, kind and humble, a symbol of a true great athlete, and has respect to her fellowmen,” said Unso.
“I’m deeply saddened that
Diay is gone because all of our events in Gintong Alay in 1981, we’re always together and most of the pictures we had in competition, we were always beside each other,” said Muros-Posadas.
“That’s why it’s hard to accept that Diay is gone already. We were like Vilma (Santos) and Nora (Aunor) if this is showbiz,” she added. —