Maria Lydia de Vega-Mercado was born on December 26, 1964 and died on August 10,
2022 at 57 years old, due to breast cancer.

She was a Filipina athlete who was considered Asia’s fastest woman in the 1980s. A
legend.

De Vega was found in the Palarong Pambansa in the 1970s, and the Far Eastern
University Tamaraws varsity track team decided to sign him. She eventually joined the
Gintong Alay track and field team.[8] Her father Francisco “Tatang” de Vega served as
her coach, with Claro Pellosis as his assistant.[9] Santos Magno and Anthony Benson
later joined her coaching staff.

De Vega initially gained attention at the 1981 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in
Manila, where he broke Asian Games records to win gold medals in the 200 and 400
meter events.

She is known as Asia’s sprint diva and won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the
1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. In 1986, she repeated the feat in Seoul, clocking a
time of 11.53 seconds. She grew resentful of Indian athlete P. T. Usha.

At the SEA Games, De Vega won the gold medal in the 100 meters. In addition, she
won the 200-meter competition in 1981, 1983, 1987, and 1993. In 1983 and 1987, she
won the 100 and 200 meter gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships twice. In
the 1981 edition, when she was 16 years old, she finished second in the 400 meter race
and also earned the 200 meter bronze medal.

Following his participation in the 1994 Manila-Fujian Games’ track and field competition,
De Vega announced his retirement. She won the 100-meter race. At that time, she
made the announcement that she will not be participating in the forthcoming Philippine
National Games. She ended her athletic career in 1994.

Her death was a great loss to Philippine sport and the country mourns with her passing.

The Philippine Olympic Committee will pay tribute to De Vega by immortalizing her in
the soon–to-rise POC Museum at New Clark City in Tarlac.