Fil-Am bags gold

GOLDEN GIRL: Filipino-American Natalie Coughlin celebrates her gold winning victory in Beijing, China. At right is her grandmother Zenaida Bohn who is in Beijing for the Olympics. (AP photos)

By L.P. PELAYO

Filipino-American Natalie Anne Aguillion Coughlin duplicated her golden feat in Athens, Greece in 2004 by winning for the United States the Olympic 100-meter backstroke in Beijing, China, and becoming the first woman to ever defend her title in the event.

Coughlin, who was overwhelmed with emotion when she received the gold medal, swam her fastest time ever, 58.96 seconds.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe earned the silver at 59.19 seconds, while American Margaret Hoelzer took the bronze at 59.34.

"The 100 back has progressed faster than any other female event," said the part-Filipino, part-Irish athlete whose mother Zennie Aguillion Coughlin is a paralegal who hails from Cavite, Philippines. "For me to win gold, I'm so proud. That's why I was crying like a little baby on the stand."

The 25-year-old world champion later added a silver and a bronze to her Beijing collection.

Although she won the gold, Coughlin lost the world record to Coventry during Monday's semifinal when the swimmer from Zimbabwe clocked 58.77 seconds to smash the world record held by Coughlin for six years.

"Honestly, I didn't really care," said Coughlin of Lafayette, California. "I mentally prepared myself. I believed someone would break my record at the Olympic Games. I had to keep my mind and head together."

Coughlin said she wasn't surprised to see Coventry break the mark in the Beijing semis, but what really ratcheted up the pressure was knowing no one had won successive titles.

"I heard prior to the meet that it would be the first time, which added a lot of pressure and made me really nervous," she said.

Coughlin was especially pleased that she was able to conquer those nerves.
"For whatever reason, the last few days before the meet I didn't feel as great as I wanted to," she said. "But I got my head together. A lot of it was in my head, but luckily I got it together in time."

It was Coughlin's third career Olympic gold medal and confirmed her as the foremost backstroker in women's swimming.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet," Coughlin said. "When I saw the clock I thought I had made a mistake and I only knew I had won when I saw the number one by my name. It's a great feeling, I am overjoyed."

On Sunday, Coughlin earned her second medal of the Beijing Games, having won a silver in the 400 freestyle relay, with gold going to the Netherlands, and the bronze to Australia.

The Fil-Am swimmer also won a bronze in the 200-meter individual medley on Wednesday morning at the Water Cube with a time of 2:10.34. Stephanie Rice of Australia picked up the gold medal with a time of 2:08.45, breaking her own world record by 0.47. The silver medal was claimed by Coventry with 2:08.59.

As a psychology graduate from Cal (Berkeley), Coughlin knows better than most that even elite athletes are limited by what they can cope with.
So despite being one of the most versatile swimmers in the world, she resisted the temptation to overburden herself by taking on too much at the Beijing Olympics.

She could have entered as many or even more events as Michael Phelps, who is chasing eight golds - and has won five of them as of Wednesday - but she drew a line at three individual events and three relays.

Arguably the greatest female swimmer in Cal history, Coughlin won 12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles with the Golden Bears (the second-most career titles for a women's swimmer in NCAA history).
She was a three-time NCAA and Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year. Her success only grew more after her collegiate tenure.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Coughlin became the third American woman to win five medals at one Olympics (the others are Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller).

She took gold in the 100-meter backstroke and the 800 freestyle relay, breaking the world record in that event.

She also won silver medals in the 400 free relay and the 400 medley relay, and a bronze in the 100 free.

Coughlin's father James is a Vallejo police officer. She has a younger sister Megan.

Coughlin's grandmother Zenaida Bohn is a constant presence at her swimming events.

Coughlin always says her grandmother makes the best lumpia and chicken adobo in the world.

Although she mentioned her Filipino relatives hail from Cavite, several entries on the Internet trace her Filipino roots to Meycauayan, Bulacan.
She will turn 26 on Aug. 23.

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2 feet of missing statue kept intact

What's left of the San Lorenzo Ruiz statue in Jamaica Hills, N.Y.

The stolen image of San Lorenzo Ruiz in Jamaica Hills, N.Y. won't be replaced with a new one despite offers of monetary help, according to the national director of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Association in America (SLRAA) which also runs the San Lorenzo Ruiz Scalabrini Center in Jamaica Hills.

Instead, the center will keep what is left of the statue - its two feet - and cover it with a crystal case to better remind people of the martyrdom of the first Filipino saint.

"San Lorenzo was tortured through hanging by his feet upside down while submerged in water," said Nick Libramonte in an interview with the Filipino Reporter. "So the remaining feet of San Lorenzo could also serve as a symbol of his martyrdom because of his Christian faith."

The five-foot, 30-pound image was chopped off at the ankles from its four-foot brick pedestal last May by unidentified suspects who probably mistook the fiberglass statue for bronze because of its color, Libramonte said.

Both the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Office of Queens Councilman James Gennaro helped investigate the incident as a possible hate crime, but the case remains unsolved three months later.
Libramonte told the Reporter the crystal case, with San Lorenzo's feet inside it, will be blessed at the center's annual celebration of San Lorenzo's feast on Sept. 28.

Bishop Emilio Marquez of Tayabas, Quezon, Philippines, will be the main celebrant of the 3 p.m. mass, while Fil-Am business leaders Albert and Amy Medenilla will serve as hermano and hermana mayor.

"Actually, Dr. Prospero Lim already placed an order of a new image of San Lorenzo to replace the missing one," Libramonte explained. "But we have to cancel it because I don't want to change the image. Maybe in the future, but not now."

"The remnants of the stolen statue, whenever I look at them, make me stronger," he said. "Just looking at those feet always reminds me how San Lorenzo suffered."

"I'm still upset that someone would do this to San Lorenzo," he said. "But I know there's an important message behind all this, and that is to never forget the sufferings of San Lorenzo, and the sufferings of other people."
The San Lorenzo Ruiz Center is located at 168-41 84th Avenue, Jamaica Hills, NY 11432.

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Lewis party with P. Diddy

Loida Nicolas Lewis with awardee Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

Lewis with fashion and music mogul Russell Simmons.

L.-R.: Sam Champion, Michael Strahan, Nicole Murphy and Charles Oakley.

Filipina philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis hosted a special soiree during the last Fourth of July weekend at the East Hamptons, neighborhood of the rich and famous designers, entrepreneurs and executives in New York.

The weekend affair raised over a million dollars for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, named after Lewis' husband Reginald F. Lewis who became the first African-American billionaire.

The first party ever at the huge Hampton home of the Lewises, the RFL estate became the meeting place of people "who actually care about about being here. You can see that these people are dedicated to making sure that this museum and the life that started it is honored and carries on," said Sam Champion, the weather anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America," and designated emcee for the afternoon. 

Among the people who came out were Michael Strahan (formerly of the New York Giants and recent Super Bowl champions), Russell Simmons, Charles Oakley (former New York Knicks forward), Nicole Murphy, Citibank Global Asset Management's Ronald Blaylock and Raymond McQuire, Eddie and Sylvia Brown, New York TV host and socialite Lauren Ezersky and Bill Cunningham of The New York Times.

The by-invitation-only event, gathered together 200+ guests in Hampton chic attire.

"I am just so pleased and so happy that all of you took the time out to on a Fourth of July Sunday to be here and to support the Reginald F. Lewis Museum with us. But I know that the biggest draw are the three honorees we have today," said Lewis.

The party gave tribute to the successes and contributions of another Filipino-African American couple Frank and Lolita Valderrama Savage, and entrepreneur extraordinaire Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who became the first recipient of the Reginald F. Lewis Award.

"If I can achieve even a tenth of what Reginald F. Lewis has been able to accomplish, I will definitely consider myself a success," Combs said in his acceptance speech. "I'm going to keep this award on my mantle as a constant reminder of what I have to become," said Combs.

"It is truly an honor to be here today. Loida Lewis has incredible, beautiful energy and passion. And to be put in the same sentence as Reginald F. Lewis is truly a humbling experience," he continued. "We struggle, but it is definitely easier now because of men like Reginald Lewis and Frank Savage. Everyday when I speak to my kids and my staff, I tell them, it's not about the money, it's about the legacy you leave behind. And Reginald F. Lewis will always be remembered in a positive way."

"I cannot say enough about Loida's commitment to preserving and sustaining the memory of RFL," said Mr. Savage.

Frank Savage, who raised $275 million for Howard University, called out to the guests, "Please join us in pursuing the efforts to preserve and promote the Black American culture and art. It's important for our future. We need to sustain the legacy that Reggie stood for. It is a symbol of what can be achieved."

Actor Grace Savage gushed, "My mom Lolita is a wonderful woman, an incredible artist. She and my father, much like Loida and Reggie, as a black Filipino couple, definitely come together to always honor where they come from. My mother and Loida are always working hard to promote Filipino culture and support the Filipino economy, and my father does the same for the African-Americans. All I can say is that I am very proud of both my parents. I'm very proud of my Filipino side."

On July 7, Reginald F. Lewis and his museum were saluted at the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony.

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