Lydia de Vega passed away at the age of 57

57-year-old Philippine sports icon Lydia de Vega-Mercado passed away this Wednesday due to breast cancer.

The sad news was shared by his daughter, Stephanie Mercado de Koenigswarter.

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“On behalf of our family, it is with absolute grief that I announce the death of my mother, Lydia De Vega this evening, August 10, 2022, at the Makati Medical Center,” according to Stephanie.

“She fought the very good fight and is now at peace,” she added.

In 2018, De Vega was diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Lydia De Vega was then dubbed Asia’s fastest woman and a two-time gold medalist in the Asian Games.

In 2019, De Vega was seen at the opening ceremonies of the Southeast Asian Games, where he was one of the flag bearers along with other Philippine sports icons.

Lydia de Vega passed away at the age of 57

In 1979, De Vega was a part of the Gintong Alay Track & Field team. Her father Tatang De Vega and Claro Pellosis were her initial coaches. Santos Magno and Anthony Benson were her instructors from 1980 to 1984. De Vega first made an impression during the 1981 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila, where he won gold medals in the 200 and 400 meter events, breaking Asian Games records.  Asia’s sprint queen won gold in the 100-meter dash in the 1982 New Delhi Asiadand repeated the feat at the 1986 Seoul Asiad, clocking 11.53 seconds.

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She won gold in the 100 meters at the Southeast Asian Games (1987, 1991, and 1993). In addition, she won the 200-meter dash in 1981, 1983, 1987, and 1993. She has twice won the 100 and 200-meter gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships in 1983 and 1987. She finished second in the 400 meters and bronze in the 200 meters as a 16-year-old in the 1981 competition.

Lydia De Vega was a two-time Olympian representing the Philippines in the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1988.

She also won a silver medal in the 200-meter event at the Seoul Asiad in 1986, and she once represented a buddy in the Long Jumps and smashed her own record.

De Vega had a hiatus from athletics from 1989 to 1991. During this time, she earned a degree and married. She competed in the Asian Athletics Championships in 1991, finishing sixth.

The sprinter announced his retirement after competing in October’s track & field event at the 1994 Manila-Fujian Games. She won the 100m race. She confirmed at the moment that she would not be partaking in the forthcoming Philippine National Games.

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