FIL-foreign Gian Santos and Riannah Chantelle Coleman continued their superb performances even as the local-breds posed some challenges on the penultimate day Saturday of the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) 50-meter long course National Trials at the Teofilo Ildefonso swimming pool in Malate,Manila.
An incoming freshman at the Columbian University in New York, Santos claimed his third gold medal all over the Southeast Asian Age Group (SEAG) Qualifying Time Standard, winning the boys 16-18 class 200-meter in time of 1:51.39, over four seconds ahead of QTS of 1:55.45.
Santos also broke the QTS (4:07.74) in 400-m freestyle by almost six seconds at 4:01.26 in the opening day on Thursday before submitting another spectacular time of 2:18.30 in the 200-m breaststroke the following day besting the QTS (2:22.78).
“Just trying my best and possibly inspire the youth here. I hope to represent my country and my long-term goal is to make it to the Olympics,” said the Novo Aquatics-trained Filipino born in the US by Filipino parents.
Likewise, the 15-year-old Coleman, a Filipino-American based in Tarlac and a scholar at the government-run National Academy of Sports (NAS) in Clark, claimed her third straight QTS performance after winning the girls 14-15 100-m breaststroke clocking 1:14.12 to break the standard time of 1:14.50.
A protégé of coach Dax Swim Club., the comely Coleman is already a shoo-in to the Philippine Team pool with her two previous stunning showing in the 200-m breast 2:43.55 breaking the 2:45.54 QTS and 50-m breast 33.96, bettering the 33.98 QTS.
“I feel so blessed. I just want to thank my parents for their support and to coach Dax (Halili) for believing in me. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for and it’s an amazing feeling if I represent my country in a high-level international meet,” said Coleman.
Asian Age Group gold medalist Jamesray Ajido, 2022 World Junior Championships semifinalist Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, veteran internationalists Mishka Sy and Ivo Nikolai Enot provided some semblance of dominance by the homegrown in the event backed by Speed, Pocari Sweat, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The Grade-9 student at the La Salle Greenhills, Ajido topped two events to hike his gold medal haul to six, while Mojdeh, collected her third mint and Sy got her second top podium finish while Enot registered QTS time.
Ajido, the top bet of FTW Royals finished first in the boys 14-15 50-m backstroke and 200-m freestyle clocking 28.57 and 2:02.35, respectively. He dominated the four events in the past two days, claiming the 100-m butterfly in 56.25 breaking the QTS (57.47), matching the QTS of 24.64 in the 50-m free, 100-m backstroke (1:01.01) and 200-m Individual Medley (2:12.57).
Mojdeh, on the other hand, added her triumph in the girls’ 16-18 100-m breaststroke (1:15.40), in her gold medal haul in the 200-m breast (2:40.27) – a QTS performance (2:40.42) and 200m IM (2:26.16).
Sy, a two-time SEA Age campaigner, claimed her third gold medal winning the girls’ 19-over 200-m free at 2:12.40. She previously won the 400-m free (4:41.29) and 100-m (1:07.24), while Ivo broke the QTS in the boys 16-18 50-m back (27.38) with a time of 27.24.
Other gold medal winners who broke the QTS are Maxene Hayley Uy in the girls 14-15 50m back (31.36) with a time of 31.15; Shania Joy Baraquiel in the girls 16-18 50-m back (30.85) with a time of 30.60; Billie Blu Mondenedo in the girls 16-18 200-m free (2:09.09) with a time of 2:08.34 and Fil-Mongolian Enkhmend Enkhmend in the boys 14-15 100-m breast (1:06.99) with a time of 1:06.49.
