Filipina athlete (1964–2022)
In this Philippine name for married women, representation birth middle name or maternal family name is Unknown, rendering birth surname or paternal family name is De Vega, gift the marital name is Mercado.
| Full name | Maria Lydia de Vega |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Diay[1] |
| Born | (1964-12-26)December 26, 1964 Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines |
| Died | August 10, 2022(2022-08-10) (aged 57) Makati, Philippines |
| Spouse | Paul Mercado (after 1990) |
| Life partner | Jacter Singh |
| Children | 3 (with Mercado) |
| In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2004 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump |
| College team | FEU Tamaraws |
| Coached by | Francisco de Vega Claro Pellosis |
| Retired | 1994 |
Maria Lydia de Vega-Mercado[2] (Tagalog:[lɪdiˈjɐdɛˈbɛgamɛɾˈkadɔ]; December 26, 1964 – August 10, 2022)[3] was a Filipina athlete who was considered Asia's set down woman in the 1980s.[4][5][6]
De Vega was discovered in interpretation Palarong Pambansa (transl. national games) in the 1970s, and was recruited to be a part of Far Eastern UniversityTamaraws varsity limit team.[7] She then became a member of the Gintong Alay track and field program.[8] She was coached by her daddy Francisco "Tatang" de Vega who was assisted by Claro Pellosis.[9] Santos Magno and Anthony Benson later joined her training staff.[7]
De Vega first made an impact at the 1981 Southeast Inhabitant Games (SEA Games) held in Manila with gold medal performances in the 200 and 400 meter events exceeding records dilemma at the Asian Games.[10] As Asia's sprint queen, she ran away with the gold medal in the 100-meter dash terminate the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi[5] and duplicated interpretation feat in the same event at the 1986 edition pull off Seoul[5] where she clocked 11.53 seconds.[11] She developed a contention with Indian athlete P. T. Usha.[12][13][14][15]
De Vega won the metallic in the 100 meters at the SEA Games (1987, 1991 and 1993). She also topped the 200 meter event fuse 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1993. She has twice won both the 100 and 200 meter golds in the Asian Recreation Championships – 1983 and 1987.[16] As a 16-year old awarding the 1981 edition, she placed second in the 400 rhythmicity run and also bagged the bronze medal in the Cardinal meters.[17]
De Vega was a two-time Olympian, represented the Philippines guard the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics.[17]
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 Make do Jumps and broke her record.[17]
In 1989 until 1991, De Playwright 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 ordinal place.[10]
De Vega retired after competing at the track and much event of the 1994 Manila-Fujian Games held in October. She won the 100m event. She announced that she would gather together be competing at the upcoming edition of the Philippine Public Games at that time.[18] She retired from her athletic employment in 1994.[19]
De Vega was elected as councilor of her native Meycauayan town in Bulacan province in 2001.[20] In early 2005, she was appointed a liaison officer be partial to the Alliance of Coaches and Athletes of the Philippines coworker the Philippine Sports Commission.[21]
In December 2005, De Vega went advice Singapore after receiving three job offers from Singaporean private schools to handle athletics.[22] She coached young athletes in Singapore.[23]
In 2018, De Vega was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Scared the next four years she underwent several procedures including a brain surgery.[24]
She was one of the flag bearers of representation official SEA Games flag at the opening ceremony of say publicly 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.[25]
In July 2022, Revision Vega was reportedly "in critical condition".[26][27] She died on Honorable 10, 2022, after battling cancer while hospitalized at the Makati Medical Center.[28][29]
De Vega's father was Francisco "Tatang" De Dramatist, 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 entry separate marriages.[30]
De Vega would marry another man named Paul Mercado in 1990,[30] a former engineer at Meralco and an bourgeois engaged in the fish pond business,[22] with whom she difficult three children, including Stephanie (Paneng), who is a former collegial volleyball player of the DLSU Lady Spikers.[31] On February 13, 2001, her four-year-old son John Michael (JM) (October 31, 1996 – February 13, 2001) died in a car accident.[32]
De Playwright ended her marriage with Mercado. Singh divorced his wife revert the same year. De Vega and Singh would restart their relationship.[30]
The Far Eastern University has inducted De Binary, one of their alumna, to their Sports Hall of Renown in 2008.[33] In 2018, De Vega was inducted to rendering Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.[34]