RP wushu athletes secure 4 medals in Olympic exhibition

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines can find some solace in Willy Wang’s feat. And in the rest of the national wushu athletes. Wang won the gold medal in the combined events of men’s nanquan and nangun (bare fists) Friday to somehow make up for the country’s listless performance in the Beijing Olympics. His teammates fared well too. Mary Jane Estimar earned the silver in the 52-kg class of the women’s sanshou (combat) event on Sunday, while Benjie Rivera (men’s 60kg sanshou) and Marian Mariano (women’s 56kg sanshou) took the bronze in their respective categories Saturday. But because wushu is only a demonstration sport, Wang’s victory will not count in the regular medal standings. The wushu gold is reminiscent of the gold medal won by Arianne Cerdeña in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Cerdeña’s triumph in bowling did not count because it was an exhibition sport. The President’s husband Mike Arroyo was in attendance during the RP wushu athletes’ games. – GMANews.TV