No coup de gráce for Pinoys in Paris

PARIS – Bianca Pagdanganan is suddenly in a tough position to crack the top three and more so Dottie Ardina despite a good charge in the third round of women’s golf at Le Golf National Friday.

Over at the South Paris Arena 6 in a sprawling complex in Paris 15th District, the weightlifting team came up empty with a no lift from Vanessa Sarno, replicating the DNF (Did Not Finish) card of John Ceniza Wednesday.

An absence of a coup de gráce.

Team Philippines’ last forces were fighting a lonely fight in the closing hours of the 2024 Paris Games.

Worse, there’s seemingly an issue over a playing uniform – or the absence of it – from the golf team and an infighting in the weightlifting unit, a sad note to end what’s easily the most outstanding performance by Team Philippines in the quadrennial Games.

Ardina posted a video that had become viral on social media, showing her using a double-sided tape to place a Philippine flag patch on her jersey. She was whispering they’re the only team in the golf competition without a uniform.

Meanwhile, Sarno ended up in tears after three failed lifts on her start weight (100kg), and shortly after said it’s tough to train “in a toxic environment.”

But the lady warriors put up a fight.

Pagdanganan birdied the par-5 18th hole for the third straight day and salvaged a one-over 73 to be at joint 13th with a two-under 54-hole total, seven shots off the pace.

After her video shoot, Ardina worked on her best round of three-under 69 and climbed notches up to 23rd with a one-over 217 total.

Lastly, Sarno took the stage and repeatedly flashed a smile before and after her attempts, holding the emotions she’d been hiding all these days since her qualification to the Games.

“Ang pangit po pag ganoon ‘yung environment while preparing for the Olympics kasi aminado po ako na naging mahina po ‘yung mentality ko po pagdating sa mga tao na nasa paligid ko po na sobrang toxic,” said Sarno.

Needless to say, she’s not okay with her coaches.

And it didn’t help as she landed in the bottom of the chart in women’s 71kg topped by Olivia Reeves with a new Olympic mark of 117 in snatch and a 145 clean and jerk for a winning 262 total.

The silver went to