BEIJING—Miguel Molina competes in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke heats in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Tuesday night with a modest goal of breaking his own national record.

Molina is the second of five Filipino swimmers to plunge into the Water Cube pool after JB Walsh, who swam the men’s 200-meter butterfly heat Monday night.

“It’s a good heat,” said Mark Joseph, head of the national swimming association. “There are swimmers faster than him [Molina] and I am sure he will break the national record.”

The Philippine record of 2:16.62 belongs to Molina. He established it in the Janet Evans International Invitational last July at the University of Southern California. He set two other national marks in that tournament.

With Molina, who races in lane 2, in his heat are Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wei-wen (2:16.98), Israel’s Jakob Johann Svensson (2:16.01), Portugal’s Carlos Almeida (2:15.00), Korea’s Sin Sujong (2:15.88), Estonia’s Martti Aljand (2:16.31), Romania’s Valentin Preda (2:16.97) and Laurent Carnol (2:17.29).

Molina has swam faster the past year, an improvement Joseph attributed to the Filipino swimmer’s coach in the United States, Dr. David Salo.

“Salo is not only a coach, he is also a scientist. He told me a year ago, when Miguel started training under him, that the results would come a year later. And Miguel showed that improvement at the Janet Evans,” said Joseph.

Salo is a member of the US swimming team in the Beijing Olympics. Like the other US coaches who are here for the Games, Salo has continued to look over his Filipino wards at the Water Cube.

“Dr. Salo comes over to us when we are training,” said Joseph.

Besides Salo, Greg Troy (Walsh’s coach), Anthony Nesty and Sergio Lopez have continued to look over the Filipinos here although they are coaching their respective countries. Nesty is head coach of his native Surinam, while Lopez handles the Netherlands Antilles team.

Bets hope to add gold to RP’s 9 Olympic medals

BEIJING—The 29th edition of the Olympics here marks the 19th time the Philippines has participated in the quadrennial Games. But since Paris in 1924, Filipino athletes could only bring home a total nine medals, none of them gold.

A Modest Goal

BEIJING—Miguel Molina competes in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke heats in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Tuesday night with a modest goal of breaking his own national record.

Canada’s best a Filipino

BEIJING—Mark Javier is the Philippines’ lone representative in the 2008 Beijing Olympics archery competitions, but he is not the only full-blooded Filipino here.

Harry hardly knows foe from Ghana

BEIJING—Harry Tañamor had his routine afternoon nap after his prelunch workout Monday, two days before he steps into the ring against a foe from Ghana he hardly knows.

GMA pledges $15m for wushu gold, too

BEIJING—President Arroyo proved true to her word and visited Team Philippines’ residential unit Sunday afternoon at the posh Olympic Village.

Age a plus for shooter Ang

BEIJING—All is not lost for Eric Ang, the country’s lone representative in shooting in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, who finished dead last in the men’s individual trap Sunday.

American massages Olympians’ pains away

BEIJING—Long-jumper Henry Dagmil grimaced as Todd Reiter worked on an old injury in the Filipino’s shoulder.

Todd who?

A Billion Do Care

BEIJING—Yao Ming hit a rare three-pointer Sunday to open the most watched basketball game in recorded history—East or West—and the earth moved.

Two real Olympic heroines

BEIJING—Someone ought to inform Michael Phelps that no matter how many gold medals he wins, no matter how many records he obliterates or primal screams he unleashes, he cannot emerge as the hero of the 2008 Olympics.

Tough Turf: IOC must set simple Olympics opening

THAT spectacular opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on August 8 really thrilled the whole world no end.

From the opening presentation up to the staging of the magnificent fireworks display, millions of viewers were kept hanging by the edge of their seats, waiting on what would come next.