Olympic bets show heart in ‘Puso in Paris 2024’
Smart Communications Inc. gives sports fans an inside look at the preparation of Filipino athletes for the Paris Olympics in a mini-documentary series dubbed as
“Puso in Paris 2024.”
The series, which was exclusively shown to the media on Tuesday at the Smart Technolab Ampitheater, features stories of hopes, dreams, struggles and determination, victories, defeat, and more importantly, hearts that bear these challenges to make the entire country proud.
“Puso in Paris 2024” will be streamed on the Smart Livestream App for free and will be made available to all networks.
“Smart is committed to helping Filipino athletes perform their best in the world’s biggest stage. We share their passion, and we join them in their exciting journey of bringing honor to our country,” Alex Caeg, Smart’s head of Smart Consumer Wireless Business, said.
The four-part series opens with gymnast Carlos Yulo and will be followed by the stories of Filipino boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, who brave through blood, sweat and tears to punch their way to the top of the podium.
Rounding out the second episode are Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam and first-time Olympian Hergie Bacyadan.
The third episode looks into the preparations of first-time Olympians Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza and how they’re upholding the legacy set by Hidilyn Diaz for Filipino weightlifters.
The series wraps up with world-class pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and his pre-Paris competition schedule where he continuously sets the bar higher to rewrite his Olympic experience.
Yulo, the 24-year-old prodigy from Manila, is gunning for redemption in Paris following a breakout stint in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
“We were aiming to qualify for the allaround and floor exercise events,” Yulo said.
“But when I tripped in the floor exercise, it affected the rest of my performance in other apparatus. I was frustrated, angry. Everything fell apart from there.”
Still, Yulo managed to cap off his first Olympiad with a solid performance in the men’s vault, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal by less than seven hundredths of a point.
“Looking back, I realized I wasn’t mentally strong then. I couldn’t tell that I was getting overwhelmed. I failed to manage my own self. I cried for about two hours after the competition,” he said.