With the much-anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics set to begin in a few days, hopes are high for Team Philippines to secure another Olympic gold medal this year, following the success of celebrated weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz back in 2020.
Among those sending support to the Filipino Olympians is Philippine Airlines, the country’s premier flag carrier, through its “PRs Go Further” campaign—with PR referring to an athlete’s personal record and the airline’s designator code.
“Aside from rallying support for our Olympians, this campaign celebrates their achievements, pushes them to go further, and inspires Filipinos to go above and beyond in reaching for their goals,” said Alvin Miranda, PAL Vice President for Marketing.
Based on their PRs alone, Filipino Olympians are sure to put up a good fight and bring pride to the country at the world’s biggest sporting event.
Young and hungry for gold
Celebrated gymnast Carlos Yulo, now on his second Olympics appearance, became the nation’s pride after winning the country’s first gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2019. He went on to bag several gold medals in the SEA Games, Asian Championships, and the World Championships.
No weight too heavy
Elreen Ann Ando recorded a total lift of 228kg during the women’s 59kg event at the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, Thailand. Ando lifted 100kg in snatch and 128kg in clean and jerk at this event, securing 7th place at the Olympics qualifiers.
Promising debuts
Joining our seasoned Filipino Olympians are athletes who are representing the Philippines for the first time in their respective sports.
Samantha Catantan became the first fencer to represent the Philippines after 32 years, when she secured her spot at the qualifiers last April 27. Making history as the first Filipino rower to compete in the Olympics is Joanie Delgaco. A few weeks before her Paris stint, Delgaco set a PR of 7:39 at the La Mesa Dam.
Going beyond PRs
Never settling for anything less than their current PRs, these Filipino Olympians have been going through rigorous preparations to surpass their own records and bring home another Olympic medal for the Philippines.
And to show its commitment for both Filipino Olympians and Paralympians, PAL recently inked a partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission and pledged Mabuhay Miles to those who will be successful in their Olympics journey. The flag carrier hopes that the athletes’ own PRs will propel them to showcase the Filipinos’ fighting spirit on the world stage.
