OLYMPIC HOPEFUL. With hardly a year away for the 2012 London Olympics, Jessie King Lacuna (2nd from left), a 17 year old Bulakenyo swimmer said he is training hard to qualify. He is competing next week in China and in November at Indonesia where he hopes to break the 1 minute 48 seconds qualifying time.
Photo shows Lacuna with Bulacan officials and Brazilian Ju-jitsu artist Jaypee Rubio of Malolos (in black jacket). Photo by Dino Balabo
MALOLOS CITY—With just about a year before the 2012 London Olympics, young Bulakenyo tanker Jessie King Lacuna is training hard in the hope of qualifying for the prestigious slot.
This came as the 17-year old Lacuna took home three silvers and a bronze medal in the recently concluded South East Asian Swimming competitions held in Vietnam.
In the said competitions, Lacuna grabbed the silver medals in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly events; and the bronze for the 400-meter freestyle.
“I think I can still make it to the 2012 London Olympics,” said Lacuna in an exclusive interview after receiving a citation from the provincial government of Bulacan for his recent accomplishments.
He said that he is currently undergoing harder training regiment to fulfill his dream of qualifying and eventually represent the country in the London Olympics.
A resident of Pulilan town, Lacuna said that to qualify for the London Olympics, he must beat the one minute and 48 seconds qualifying time for the 200-meter free style.
“There is still time, I hope I can still beat that time,” said Lacuna noting that he is just two seconds short.
Lacuna’s personal best time in the 200-meter free style is one minute and 50 seconds.
Before the 2012 London Olympics, Lacuna will compete in at least two qualifiers. These are the World Age Group Championship that will be held in Shanghai, China next week, and the South East Asian Games in November that will be held in Indonesia.
“We are praying that Jessie will make it to the Olympics,” said Marcelo, the young tanker’s father.
Mang Marcelo said that his son is very focus on his dream of making it to the Olympics, and feels that it is not impossible. However, he said that sometimes, luck prevails.
As a swimming enthusiast, Mang Marcelo started training his son at an early age. He said that they were on a local swimming pool when he noticed Jessie’s penchant for swimming at the age of four.
He enrolled his son in a swimming training program which enhanced the young boy’s skills.
In the 2008 Philippine Olympic Festival held in Ilocos Sur, Jessie bagged eight gold medals making him the winningest athlete of the said games.
Early this year, the young Lacuna led the Malolos City schools division in hauling gold medals in the 2011 Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA) which earned a slot in the Palarong Pambansa.
