Amelita Alanes
The Philippines had a very rich tradition of Asian Women Sprint Champions starting with Inocencia Solis in the 50s and then Mona Sulaiman in the 60s. After Sulaiman, some time passed before a stocky teenager born in La Carlota, Negros Occidental on February 28 1952, emerged to become the countries next Sprint Queen. Sulaiman whose career ended in controversy in the late 60s departure left a huge gap in women’s sprinting. Alanes was the most dominant female sprinter of the 1970s and held all three sprint records during that time. A much more compact sprinter than the muscular Sulaiman at 5’2 and 50kg she had the similar build to Solis.
Because sometimes History repeats itself: Asian Sprint Champion Amelita Alanes on the right compared to a modern day sprinter from Bacolod.
ASIAN GAMES 1970
Alanes recorded a time of 11.9 seconds in the heats which at the time was a Filipino Junior Record for two years until it was broken by Lucila Salao (11.6 secs). However in the finals Alanes could only manage fourth in a time of 12.4 seconds.
The Asian Record Holder Chi Cheng won the race in 11.6 seconds. With the absence of the World Record Holder (Chi Cheng of Taipei) who pulled her thigh muscle in the heats. The final was very open, 18 year old Alanes came off the bend with a useful lead but the 17 year-old Keiko Yamada of Japan overhauled the Filipina in the straight and took the gold medal in a race which was much closer than the recorded times suggested of 25.0 and 25.2. Alanes 200m time stood as the Philippine Junior Record for eleven years when it was shattered by 17 year old Lydia De Vega in 1981 with a record of 23.54 that has stood for 31 years now.
They also finished fifth and last in the 4x100m relay with S. Ordoyo, A. Bustamante, L. Salao.
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1972-1974
At the National Games in Davao in what was a quick but classed as an invalid performance (reasons are not known it was noted by Col. Constantino that this performance was doubtful), Alanes won the National title in 23.6 seconds, from Aida Montawell 24.1 seconds.
At Marikina Alanes took the Filipino Womens Record to 56.4 which she held until 1981. So for most of the seventies she held all three sprint records.
At the age of 20 Alanes at the Munich Olympics Alanes ran the 100,200 and 4x100m her relay team mates were Aida Mantawell, Lucila Salao and Carmen Torres where disqualfied and did not advance. This would be her only Olympic Games. Alanes timed 12.37et and was eliminated in the heats of the 100m. However in the 200m she timed 25.28et in the heats placing fourth and advanced to the quarter finals running 24.98et where she was eliminated.
In 1973 Alanes won the gold medal at the Asian Track and Field Championships in Manila winning in a time of 11.6 seconds (wind aided) , she timed 25.0 seconds in the 200m to win the silver medal. Alanes had clocked a windy 24.0 and 24.4 in the pre rounds ?
Alanes best time of 11.4 was established in Marikina at the National Games in 1974. And at that time was the national record which took De Vega until 1985 to eclipse (11.53) and eventually better to the current mark of 11.28 by 1987.
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End of an Era
Active through out most of the seventies Alanes nearing the end of her career now competing under her married name of Saberon was now only part of the relay at the 8th Asian Games in 1978 which managed to collect the Bronze medal. (Alanes, Salao, Mantawel (or Torres?), Morcilla).
Alanes eventually gave way to a group of sprinters with the main one Lorena Morcilla who was the most dominant sprinter in the Philippines from 1979-1981 until a talented teenager came of age from Bulucan by the name of Lydia De Vega. Lured out of retirement at the age of 28 she went up against the upcoming youngster who beat the veteran in all three sprints.
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