St. Thomas More sprinter Zion Corrales-Nelson won a pair of bronze medals at the Youth Olympic Games Asian qualifying track and field meet in Bangkok, Thailand last week.
The Grade 10 Burnaby phenom, running in her international debut for the Philippines, placed third in the women’s 400-metre run and then settled for a second bronze in a photo finish in the 200m, matching runner-up Ge Manqui of China with a 24.30 clocking at Thammasat University Stadium in the Thai capital on May 22.
“I think I did pretty well with the heat,” said Corrales-Nelson of her first truly international meet. “It was a little new to me. I tried to treat it like a meet back home, but it was a little scary. It was like people I didn’t know. I guess it was nerves.”
Corrales-Nelson, a 15-year-old Filipino-Canadian, was the sole competitor representing the Philippines at the Asian area qualifier.
Nevertheless, Corrales-Nelson’s personal-best time in the 200m qualified her for the World Junior Championships to be held in Oregon in July.
Last season, she ran a wind-aided 24.01 in the 200m.
Corrales-Nelson, who has run 54-second 400m times in the past, needs to run a 55.16 or better time in the metric quarter-mile to qualify for the World Youth Games to be held in Nanjing, China in August.
With her results, Corrales-Nelson became the second Filipino woman to qualify for Oregon.
Sixteen-year-old Filipino-American Kayla Richardson will join Corrales-Nelson at the world juniors.
Corrales-Nelson will also represent STM at the B.C. high school provincial track and field championships in Langley this week, where she will compete in three individual events and in the relays.
“The provincials are a big deal,” she said. “It’s three days and a lot of events. But I don’t mind. I think I’m used to it. It doesn’t bother me that much.”
Twitter @ThomasBerridge
