PANAMA and Mongolia were searching for the same thing as the Philippines in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The only difference was that those two countries’ quests—winning the elusive gold medal—finally came to an end.

Irving Saladino ended Panama’s 60-year gold-medal wait by winning the men’s long jump, sparking joyous celebration in his home country.

In fact, Panama President Martin Torrijos said a new sports complex being built in their capital will be named after him.

Like their neighboring country and Games host China, Mongolia will also never forget the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The country won not one, but two gold medals—their first since joining the Olympics in 1964.

Naidangiin Tuvshinbayar gained the distinction as the first Olympic gold winner for Mongolia after capturing the mint in the -100 kilogram judo competitions. Boxer Enkhbatyn Badar-Uugan, on the other hand, won the bantamweight gold days later.

For now, the Philippines will have to wait for the 2012 London Olympics to end the gold-medal drought that has spanned since the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Venezuelan solution

CARACAS, Venezuela—Venezuela’s poor performance at the Beijing Olympics moved President Hugo Chavez to order Venezuela’s oil company to start looking for gold and silver...medals.

Venezuela’s delegation of more than 100 athletes won only a bronze medal in Beijing—an effort that prompted harsh criticism from the local media.

Chavez told Petroleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA, on Sunday to “open an office of competitive sports” and asked the company’s president, Rafael Ramirez, to meet with the oil-rich nation’s Olympic squad “to analyze the sports situation.”

Under Chavez, PDVSA has expanded its activities far beyond petroleum production to include food distribution, social welfare management and building housing.

In a recent editorial, Tal Cual newspaper editor Teodoro Petkoff slammed Chavez for touting Venezuela’s medal-winning chances ahead of the Olympics while sending an oversized and unprepared delegation to China.

“The megalomaniac thought the increased number of athletes was an achievement,” Petkoff wrote. “Someone more careful would know it wasn’t sensible sending athletes without winning possibilities.”

Several athletes thanked Chavez for the socialist government’s support during his Sunday television and radio program.

Dalia Contreras Rivero won a bronze in women’s taekwondo in Beijing.

Venezuela has competed at every Olympics since 1948 and won 11 medals—one gold, two silver and eight bronze—mostly in boxing.

At Athens four years ago, it won two bronzes in weightlifting and taekwondo.

(Reuben Terrado with AP)

‘CHA-CHING’ GAMES

WE got our full measure of Olympic moments in the just-completed Beijing Games, topped by Michael Phelps’s eight gold medals and Usain Bolt’s lightning sprints.

Who’s No. 1? Olympic gold haul prompts question

BEIJING—After 16 days of competition, a 204-country compilation of smiles, tears and cheers, the Olympic odometer can rest.

What other countries do when they win–or don’t win–gold

PANAMA and Mongolia were searching for the same thing as the Philippines in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The only difference was that those two countries’ quests—winning the elusive gold medal—finally came to an end.

Smiling outside, but hurting inside

IF you see Harry Tañamor around, most likely, you will see him wearing a smile like nothing had happened to him.

Youth in death group, too

SINCE the lifting of the suspension by the international cage body, the country’s return to international basketball has not been that welcoming as far as bracketing is concerned.

Knights make it a 3-way tie for lead

LETRAN got off to a strong start but needed a much stronger finish in repulsing University of Perpetual Help, 74-66, to gain a share of the lead in the mad race for the Final Four in the 84th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Tough Turf: TRS-Ford’s media racing experience

WHEN members of the motoring media are herded into a speedway, expect all hell to break loose!

That’s what happened when Tuason Racing School (TRS) and Ford Philippines held the “Media Racing Experience” recently at the rain-drenched Subic International Speedway.