Thanya dela Cruz reset her own national record in the women’s 50-meter breastroke to highlight a superb sweep of her two events at the start Friday afternoon of the 2022 Philippine Swimming Inc. National Open at the newly-renovated Rizal Memorial pool.
Carrying the colors of the Ayala Harpoons Swim Club, Dela Cruz easily ruled her pet event of with a time of 32.49 seconds, besting her previous national mark of 32.89 seconds in the Philippine Swimming Selection last Oct. 22 at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Shairrine Floriano of the Antipolo Gems Sea Scorpions placed a distant second (35.49) while AHSC’s Sofia Annika Margare Isip placed third (36.44) in the meet supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and TYR swimming gear.
In a result that took her by surprise, the 19-year-old pride of Marikina City blasted out of the blocks and surged in the last five meters to rule the women’s 50-meter freestyle in 27.95 seconds, nipping Best Paranaque’s Amina Isabelle Mondonedo (28.72). Tarlac Marko Sharks SC’s Trixie Ortiguera was third (29.30).
“While I was expecting to win the 50-meter breastroke, the win in the 50-meter freestyle was a pleasant surprise because it was just an added event for me,” said Delacruz, 19, who graduated from San Lorenzo High School, after her twin wins.
She was hoping to add a third triumph in the women’s 100-meter breastroke yesterday in the swimming meet serving as tryouts for locally-based national team hopefuls for the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May.
Former Palarong Pambansa standout Jasmine Mojdeh of Best Main was among the opening-day victors, winning a down-the-wire thriller in the women’s 100-meter butterfly event in a time of 1:03.89 over veteran Kirsten Chloe, who settled for runner-up honors (1:04.10). Rising Atlantis SC’s Camille Buico finished a close third (1:04.20).
All Star Swim Club’s Xiandi Chua, a 2019 SEA Games bronze medalist, worked just hard enough in winning the women’s 200-meter individual medley in 2:23.31 while ex-Palaro ace Miguel Barreto of Ayala Harpoons SC took the men’s 200-meter IM race (2:13.97).
Barreto matched Delacruz’s victorious double in topping the men’s 400-meter freestyle, clocking 4:13.08, while Daos took the distaff side (4:37.99).
Both swimming for the Quezon City Buccaneers SC, Armand Pierre Chan and Mishka Sy swept the men’s and women’s 100-meter backstroke in times of 58.80 and 1:08.91, respectively.
Meanwhile, PSI President Lani Velasco was grateful for the PSC board led by Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez in the sprucing up the historic Rizal Memorial pool in time for the PSI National Open swimfest.
“If I am right, this is the first time in decades that this pool has undergone a major renovation, which would not have been possible without the support and assistance of the PSC,” Velasco noted.
“This is such a transformative gift by the PSC to our swimmers and the swimming community! We appreciate the PSC’s strong message of support,” she added of the major facelift of the RMSC swimming pool that will provide an ideal venue for local swimmers within Metro Manila.
