Andrew Kim Remolino will join the country’s top triathletes seeing action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Triathlon Association of the Philippines Secretary General Tom Carrasco said this in announcing the lineup of the Philippine national team to the biennial meet.
The Talisay, Cebu-based Remolino will join 2017 silver medallist John Chicano in seeking the top honors in the men’s division.
Men’s gold medallist Nikko Huelgas is moving over to the mixed team relay with Kim Mangrobang, Kim Kilgroe and Claire Adorna.
The 19-year-old Remolino earned his slots after becoming the first Filipino elite to cross the finish line in the 2019 Gyeongju ASTC Asian Triathlon Championships, held in South Korea last June.
During the event, Remolino competed for Talisay Luigi Triathlon Group —Go For Gold Team.
Reigning individual women’s gold medallist Mangrobang will be around with Kim Kilgro.
Adorna, the silver medallist, isn’t competing in the individuals.
In duathlon, Doy Comendador and Jarwyn Banatao are entered in the men’s division.
Monica Torres is in the women’s side with Jelsie Sabado.
The mixed team relay is composed of Joey Delos Reyes, Doy Comendador and Ephraim Iñigo Torres, Pawee Fornea and Sabado.
Meanwhile, Two Fil-heritage swimmers who made the qualifying B times in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are set to compete in another international meet in Budapest with other members of the national pool.
Fil-Kiwi Luke Michael Gebbie and Fil-American Remedy Rule will seek to improve on their times when they see action in the World Juniors Championships set from Aug. 25 to 29.
The two will join the likes of junior swimmers Jaden Olson, Mia Tandigan, Desirae Mangaoang, Adrian Eicler, Jerard Jacinto, Miguel Barreto and Jean-Pierre Khouzam.
All seven swimmers are tipped to be part of the national squad to the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Last month, Gebbie debuted for Team Philippines when he became the first Filipino swimmer to have gone below 50 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle event and hit the Tokyo Olympic Selection Time during the 18th FINA World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
Philippine Swimming Inc. officials said Gebbie clocked 49.94 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle prelims to rank 42nd among 120 elite swimmers from around the world.
Gebbie is now ninth among all Asian swimmers and second in Southeast Asia.
The time Gebbie recorded surpassed his own mark of 50.25 seconds that was clocked last month in the New Zealand National Open.
Rule was the first Filipino swimmer to make the Olympic B standard time at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Clovis, California last June.
This was when Rule clocked a national record-shattering time of 2:11.56 in the women’s 200m Butterfly event.
This went beyond the OST of 2:12.28.
In Budapest, Rule will make an effort to reach to the Olympic Qualifying Time of 2:08.43.
