Why Lydia De Vega Reigned as Asia's Fastest Woman

Lydia de Vega, dubbed "Asia's Fastest Woman" in the 1980s, died of cancer on Wednesday, after inspiring generations of Filipinos, especially women, that they can excel in sports. She was 57.

De Vega's daughter, Steph Mercado de Koenigswarter, announced her death in a Facebook post. Her years-long battle with cancer was only recently confirmed to the public.

Nicknamed "Diay" by his parents, Bulacan-born De Vega was coached by his policeman father and saw big wins in the Southeast Asian Games, starting from when she was barely out of her teens. She is a two-time Olympian, appearing in the 1984 and 1988 editions.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed his condolences to the family of the late sportswoman.

"Lydia de Vega has run her last race. She has finished her contest. She has fought a good fight. Let us pray for her peace," the president said in a statement.

De Vega was to 80s kids what Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz is to millennials and Gen Z -- a woman breaking barriers in sports that are dominated by men. She was an endorser for Alaska Milk and Milo at a time when both beverages were marketed as energy drinks for champions.

Her name ranks among the sports greats of that era -- bowling's Paeng Nepomuceno and Bong Coo, swimming's Eric Buhain and Akiko Thompson, long jumper Elma Muros and the golden age players of the Philippine Basketball Association.

After back-to-back gold medals in the 100-meter run in the 1982 and 1986 Asian Games, De Vega ruled the century dash in 1987 with a time of 11.28 seconds for a new SEA Games record. The legendary sprinter from Bulacan made it a double-gold performance when she emerged the fastest in the 200-meter run, according to SPIN.ph.

De Vega took a break from athletics to become a mother and skipped the 1989 edition. She came back strong by winning the 100-meter gold in the 1991 Manila SEA Games with a time of 11.44 seconds.

She retired  in 1994. Her SEA Games record in the 100-meter run remains unbroken and the Philippines is still in search of the next Lydia De Vega that will rule not just in Southeast Asia but also in Asia as well.

From: Reportr World