AGUSAN DEL SUR — Three-peat hurdling champion Angel Villagracia has so much to prove in Palarong Pambansa, aiming to punctuate her last playing year in a dominant fashion— but as poetic life is—she faced a real-life hurdle.
The 18-year-old reigned as the champion of the girls' secondary 100-meter hurdles for three consecutive years, leading Western Visayas to have high expectations of her securing a gold medal.
However, this time she settled for the bronze.
Villagracia clocked 14.44 seconds. She wallowed in tears after completing her race and cried in the arms of her mother upon being dethroned by the National Capital Region’s (NCR) Ma. Lynette Libranda (14.04), while also falling behind her teammate Angelica Belandres (14.44).
While it was a tough pill for the former champion to swallow, Villagracia collected herself and bared her emotions after finishing the race on Monday afternoon at the Datu Lipus Makapandong-Governor Democrito O. Plaza Sports Complex.
“The feeling is really heavy. I cannot explain, but on my own, I am really hurt because [I know] the expectation of my family and friends, and I do not want to get hated on,” she said while holding her tears.
“I am very sad because I think I disappointed my people. I really don’t like disappointments. I really take it with my heart,” she added.
Also dubbed as the “Sprint Queen of Western Visayas,” she still managed to compete in Palarong Pambansa despite sustaining an Acute Cruciate Ligament (ACL) partial tear injury two months ago.
The Capiz National High School pride won four gold medals in the Under-20 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles, and 4x100-meter relay events last March.
Knowing her caliber and knowing that she’s highly anticipated, Villagracia accepted the fact that she was slower in the crucial stretch of the run.
“It’s not all the time, everything is yours. I told myself, if this is for me, God will give it to me, and there’s a way. But if not? It’s also okay for me.”
“I am still grateful because I finished with a bronze medal; some athletes dream to just have a bronze, while I managed to earn one.”
Dominating the hurdling event in Palarong Pambansa’s Marikina, Cebu, and Ilocos Norte, Villagracia thought that maybe a three-peat was good enough.
“Yes, gunning for four-peat. If it is for you, it is for you. I did my best and have no regrets.”
“The moment that I crossed the finish line, I already accepted it. I told myself, I gave my best, and I really have no regrets.”
