Lydia de Vega

Maria Lydia de Vega-Mercado[2] (Tagalog: [lɪdɪˈjɐ de ˈbɛga mɛɾˈkadɔ]; December 26, 1964 – August 10, 2022)[3] was a Filipina athlete who was considered Asia's fastest woman in the 1980s.[4][5][6]

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Unknown, the birth surname or paternal family name is De Vega, and the marital name is Mercado.
Lydia de Vega
Personal information
Full nameMaria Lydia de Vega
Nickname(s)Diay[1]
Born(1964-12-26)December 26, 1964
Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines
DiedAugust 10, 2022(2022-08-10) (aged 57)
Makati, Philippines
Spouse(s)
Paul Mercado
​
​
(m. 1990; div. 2003)​
Life partner(s)Jacter Singh
Children3 (with Mercado)
Member of the
Meycauayan Municipal Council
In office
June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2004
Sport
Country Philippines
SportTrack and field
Event(s)100m, 200m, 400m, long jump
College teamFEU Tamaraws
Coached byFrancisco de Vega
Claro Pellosis
Retired1994
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Asian Athletics Championships 4 3 3
Asian Games 2 1 -
Southeast Asian Games 9 2 -
Total 15 6 3
Women's athletics
Representing  Philippines
Asian Athletics Championships
Gold medal – first place1987 Singapore100m
Gold medal – first place1987 Singapore200m
Gold medal – first place1983 Kuwait City200m
Gold medal – first place1983 Kuwait City100m
Silver medal – second place1983 Kuwait City400m
Silver medal – second place1981 Tokyo400m
Silver medal – second place1981 Tokyo4×400 m
Bronze medal – third place1981 Tokyo200m
Bronze medal – third place1985 Jakarta100m
Bronze medal – third place1979 Tokyo4×400 m
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1982 New Delhi100m
Gold medal – first place1986 Seoul100m
Silver medal – second place1986 Seoul200m
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1981 Manila200m
Gold medal – first place1981 Manila400m
Gold medal – first place1983 Singapore200m
Gold medal – first place1987 Jakarta100m
Gold medal – first place1987 Jakarta200m
Gold medal – first place1987 JakartaLong Jump
Gold medal – first place1991 Manila100m
Gold medal – first place1993 Singapore100m
Gold medal – first place1993 Singapore200m
Silver medal – second place1983 Singapore100m
Silver medal – second place1991 Manila200m

Personal life

De Vega's father was Francisco "Tatang" De Vega, Sr. (August 13, 1928 – December 26, 2010), who was also her coach. De Vega had Singaporean athlete Jacter Singh as her long-time partner. They first met at the 1979 Asean Schools Track and Field Championships in Singapore and were together for six years prior to both of them entering separate marriages.[7]

De Vega would marry another man named Paul Mercado in 1990,[7] a former engineer at Meralco and an entrepreneur engaged in the fish pond business,[8] with whom she had three children, including Stephanie (Paneng), who is a former collegiate volleyball player of the DLSU Lady Spikers.[9] On February 13, 2001, her four-year-old son John Michael (JM) (October 31, 1996 – February 13, 2001) died in a car accident.[10]

De Vega ended her marriage with Mercado. Singh divorced his wife on the same year. De Vega and Singh would restart their relationship.[7]

Athletic career

De Vega was discovered in the Palarong Pambansa (transl. national games) in the 1970s, and was recruited to be a part of Far Eastern University Tamaraws varsity track team.[11] She then became a member of the Gintong Alay track and field program.[12] She was coached by her father Francisco "Tatang" de Vega who was assisted by Claro Pellosis.[13] Santos Magno and Anthony Benson later joined her training staff.[11]

De Vega first made an impact at the 1981 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) held in Manila with gold medal performances in the 200 and 400 meter events exceeding records set at the Asian Games.[14] As Asia's sprint queen, she ran away with the gold medal in the 100-meter dash in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi[5] and duplicated the feat in the same event at the 1986 edition in Seoul[5] where she clocked 11.53 seconds.[15] She developed a rivalry with Indian athlete P. T. Usha.[16][17][18][19]

De Vega won the gold in the 100 meters at the SEA Games (1987, 1991 and 1993). She also topped the 200 meter event in 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1993. She has twice won both the 100 and 200 meter golds in the Asian Athletics Championships – 1983 and 1987.[20] As a 16-year old in the 1981 edition, she placed second in the 400 meter run and also bagged the bronze medal in the 200 meters.[21]

De Vega was a two-time Olympian, represented the Philippines at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics.[21]

She also brought home a silver medal in the 200-meter race from the 1986 Seoul Asiad, and has once represented a friend for the Long Jumps and broke her record.[21]

In 1989 until 1991, De Vega took a break from athletics. During this period she got an academic degree and got married. She entered the 1991 Asian Athletics Championships and made a decent finish of seventh place.[14]

De Vega retired after competing at the track and field event of the 1994 Manila-Fujian Games held in October. She won the 100m event. She announced that she would not be competing at the upcoming edition of the Philippine National Games at that time.[22] She retired from her athletic career in 1994.[23]

Later life and death

De Vega was elected as councilor of her native Meycauayan town in Bulacan province in 2001.[24] In early 2005, she was appointed a liaison officer of the Alliance of Coaches and Athletes of the Philippines with the Philippine Sports Commission.[25]

In December 2005, De Vega went to Singapore after receiving three job offers from Singaporean private schools to handle athletics.[8] She coached young athletes in Singapore.[26]

In 2018, De Vega was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Over the next four years she underwent several procedures including a brain surgery.[27]

She was one of the flag bearers of the official SEA Games flag at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.[28]

In July 2022, De Vega was reportedly "in critical condition".[29][30] She died on August 10, 2022, after battling cancer while hospitalized at the Makati Medical Center.[31][32]

Honors and awards

The Far Eastern University has inducted De Vega, one of their alumna, to their Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[33] In 2018, De Vega was inducted to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.[34]

References
  1. "Lydia de Vega, legendary sprint queen, 57". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  2. "PH can regain 'golden years'". Tempo. November 24, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  3. Serato, Arniel (August 11, 2022). "Asia's fastest woman Lydia de Vega passes away at 57". PEP.ph (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  4. "Lydia de Vega: Asia's World-Class Track Queen in the 80s". Athletic Asia. May 27, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  5. "Loyzaga, Mumar, Sulaiman, De Vega to be feted by PSA (psa)". Manila Bulletin. January 3, 2005. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  6. "Athletics Podium". Lydia de Vega. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  7. Kumar, V.K. Santosh (August 20, 2022). "Unusual love story: Singaporean's romance with Philippine track queen Lydia de Vega". The Straits Times.
  8. Eroa, Dennis (May 28, 2006). "Lydia runs to Singapore". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  9. Escarlote, Mark (May 10, 2015). "Mother's Day shout-out from volleyball players". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  10. "Lydia's Long Road". Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 14, 2003. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  11. Juico, Philip (July 27, 2022). "Warrior and role model: Lydia de Vega". BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  12. Villar, Joey (August 11, 2022). "Gintong Alay athletes, Keon remember 'Diay'". BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  13. "Claro Pellosis, coach of Lydia de Vega, dies". Rappler. July 22, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  14. "She's still their Lydia". New Straits Times. November 19, 1991. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  15. "Lydia De Vega Asia's Sprint Queen". Pinoyathletics. April 7, 2020.
  16. Villar, Joey (August 13, 2022). "Usha on Diay: A champion of life". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  17. Rayan, Stan (August 11, 2022). "The girl with movie star looks who was Usha's greatest rival". The Hindu. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  18. Anolin, Carlo (August 12, 2022). "P.T. Usha mourns passing of rival-turned-pal Diay". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  19. Swaminathan, Sneha (August 11, 2022). "Asian 'track queen' and P.T. Usha's fierce rival on track, Lydia de Vega loses battle to cancer". WION. India Dot Com Private Limited. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  20. "Arroyo mourns passing of sprint queen Lydia de Vega". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  21. "Who is Lydia de Vega? A quick look back on the achievements of the track legend". CNN Philippines. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  22. Cardona, Aldrin (October 22, 1994). "Lydia closes out great career victoriously". Manila Standard. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  23. "'Lost a legend': Tributes pour in for Lydia de Vega who passed away at 57". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  24. "De Vega-Mercado bats for continuity". Arab News. December 13, 2001. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  25. Reyes, Marc Anthony (January 27, 2005). "Acap hails appointment of De Vega". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  26. Alinea, Eddie (August 12, 2022). "Diay's one final dream was to help nurture future Filipino world-beaters". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  27. Isaga, JR (July 20, 2022). "Lydia de Vega in 'very critical condition,' family pleads for help". Rappler. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  28. Saldajeno, Ivan (December 1, 2019). "Cultural, nostalgic production number kicks off 30th SEA Games". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  29. "Sprint legend Lydia De Vega in 'very critical condition.' Here's where you can donate to help". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  30. Isaga, JR (July 20, 2022). "Lydia de Vega in 'very critical condition,' family pleads for help". Rappler. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  31. "Sports icon Lydia de Vega dies after four-year cancer battle". Rappler. August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  32. Terrado, Reuben (August 10, 2022). "Lydia De Vega, once Asia's sprint queen, dies of cancer at age 57". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  33. Leongson, Randolph (September 20, 2021). "FEU to honor Tamaraws greats with Sports Hall of Fame Room". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  34. Terrado, Reuben (November 23, 2018). "Next 'Asia's sprint queen' out there just waiting to be discovered, says Diay". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
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