Fallen jin eyes Tokyo 2020
RIO DE JANEIRO – Kirstie Elaine Alora is not even thinking of giving up, but giving the Olympics another shot, even if she’d be 30 by the time the 2020 Games are held in Tokyo.
Alora said she’s willing to give it one more try.
“The Lord has plans for me to continue fighting. I’m happy with the results here but I was not fortunate enough. It’s God’s will,” said Alora.
She just failed to win a medal when people, especially her family, thought she could. She lost two matches Saturday, the second one, against a Moroccan, she should have won.
Alora was leading Wiam Dislam by a point with just 20 seconds left. Then she lost her poise, and the Moroccan scored three unanswered points to win the match, 7-5.
The Filipino coach thought a late head kick by Alora was enough to turn things around. But there was no favorable response from the judges at the head table.
“I really thought Elaine hit the face and not the head gear. That was worth three points. From 5-7 we could have won the fight 8-7,” said Cruz.
“At least, she fought better in the repechage than in her first fight. Kung saan pa mas-matangkad ang kalaban,” Cruz added.
A 4-1 defeat in the hands of 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist Maria Espinoza shoved Alora to the repechage rounds, where those who lost to eventual finalists got a crack at the bronze.
Espinoza, the top rank, faced China’s Shuyin Zheng in the gold medal match but lost, 5-1, and took the silver, her third Olympic medal following a bronze in London in 2012.
Zheng, who stands 6’2”, won her first Olympic gold.
“I am taller so I tried to keep my distance. If she is close to me she is faster than me, so I kept her away. I feel very happy and excited with the win,” said the Chinese fighter.
Bianca Waalkden of Great Britain and Jackie Galloway of the United States, the losing semifinalists, eventually bagged the two bronze medals staked in the +67 kg division won by a Serbian in 2012.
The Filipinos took Alora’s loss in stride.
Alora thinks there are other things for her to do before even winnning in the Olympics.
“Maybe He wants me (Lord) to win in the Asian Championships or the World Championships before I become an Olympic champion,” said Alora.
The native of Biñan in Laguna will continue to work hard and get better.
“I need more accuracy with my kicks. And I need a good ranking,” she said. In her weight class of +67 kg, she was ranked 16th from among as many entries.
“All my opponents here have better rankings. I just fought the number one and number nine in my class. In my next tournaments, I need to win medals,” said Alora.
“I will strive harder. Taekwondo goes on,” she added.