Alora battles pandemic challenges while preparing for Tokyo Olympics
RIO 2016 Olympian Kirstie Elaine Alora offered deep prayers as she observed Lent inside the Inspire Sports Academy bubble, hoping the Covid-19 pandemic is defeated soon enough to everything— including sports—goes back to normal.
“It’s very much different now,” said the 31-year-old Alora, a devote Catholic out of the College of St. Benilde. “The pandemic made training so difficult, unlike when we prepared for Rio four years ago.”
Alora and the rest of the jins with bright prospects to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, dropped sparring in their routine as the enhanced community quarantine are enforced. But they are not ceasing in training at the Calamba bubble.
“I have a peace of mind here in the bubble. My focus is to build strong muscles during the Holy Week,” said Alora, who shares a room in the bubble with Laila Delo.
The Filipino jins are preparing for the Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament from May 21 to 21 in Amman, Jordan.
Besides Alora (+73 kgs) and Delo (-67 kgs), also vying in Amman are Pauline Louise Lopez (-57 kgs), Baby Jessica Canabal (-57 kgs), Kurt Bryan Barbosa (-58 kgs), Arven Alcantara (-68 kgs), Dave Cea (-80 kgs), Samuel Thomas Harper Morrison (-80 kgs) and Joseph Chua (-68 kgs).
With them in the bubble are coaches Carlos Padilla and Christian Al Dela Cruz.
Alora lost her opening match against Mexican Maria Espinoza, 1-4, in the roundof-16 in Rio and couldn’t win over Wiam Dislam of Morocco, 5-7, in the repechage.
“I’m almost there. I’m near my peak, but I have to develop really well my stamina and work on my strength and conditioning,” she said.
Alora said she will be worrying about the Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan jins in Amman.
“The South Koreans and Chinese have already earned the maximum number of entries for Tokyo,” she said.
A country could qualfify a maximum of two jins in each of the men’s and women’s divisions in the Olympics set from July 23 to August 8.