Josephine de la Viña

Josephine de la Viña

De la Viña at the 1974 Asian Games
Personal information
Born	April 15, 1946 Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Philippine Commonwealth
Died	November 4, 2011 (aged 65) Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Discus throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best	54.71 m (1971)
Medal record Representing Philippines Asian Games 1962 Jakarta Discus 1966 Bangkok Discus Asian Athletics Championships 1973 Marikina Discus

Josephine de la Viña (April 15, 1946 – November 4, 2011) was a discus thrower from the Philippines who is considered as her country's greatest athlete in the event. She won a gold medal at the 1966 Asian Games, improving on her third-place finish in the 1962 Asiad. She also competed at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics and finished 13th–18th. She withdrew from the 1974 Asian Games to visit her father, who suddenly fell ill in the United States.

Personal Life

Born in Iloilo to a Mexican-American father and a Cebuana mother. She spent her elementary and high school years in Cebu where she excelled in softball. De la Viña eventually earned a scholarship at Cebu Institute of Technology.

Career

Dela Viña eventually gave up softball and concentrated on throwing events in athletics like discus, javelin and shot put after being persuaded by school officials to develop her potential.

She was just 18 years old when she won a bronze medal in discus throw at the 1962 Asian Games, placing behind Japanese Keiko Murase and Seiko Obonai. Two years later, Dela Viña qualified for the 1964 Summer Olympics.

At the 1966 Asian Games, Dela Viña threw the discus at 47.58m to set a new Games record en route to winning the gold medal. She also competed in the shot put where she placed fourth overall. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, the hefty Cebuana registered 46.56m to place 15th out of 16 competitors. She was the only Asian competitor in the field.

Dela Viña was back at the 1970 Asian Games but failed to land a medal. Two years later, she made her third Olympic appearance at the 1972 Summer Olympics where she barely missed making the final round. The Filipina had a best effort of 53.29m to place 13th overall.

In the inaugural Asian Athletic Championships held in Marikina in 1973, Dela Viña threw the discus at a record 50.74m to comfortably win the gold medal. By achieving the feat, she became the first Filipina athlete to win a gold medal in both the Asian Games and Asian Athletics Championships - a feat matched only by sprinter Lydia De Vega.

Legacy

Dela Viña's national record of 54.71m which she set during the 1971 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Bakersfield remains intact to this day. She also holds the second-best mark of 53.92m which she achieved during the qualification rounds of the 1972 Summer Olympics.