Philippine swimmers capture 21 medals in Bangkok

The Philippines went home with 21 medals in the 40th Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships held recently in Bangkok, Thailand.

Filipino-Australian Bhay Maitland Newberry delivered the country’s only gold medal after winning the girl’s 13 and under 100-meter backstroke event in 1:08.10, setting a new Philippine record in the tour­nament held at the Assumption University Aquatic Center.

The 13-year-old swim­mer, a grade 9 student at the Montessori Integrated School in Antipolo, also bagged two silvers (200-m backstroke, 2:28.29) and (50-meter back­stroke, 31.67) in record fashion and took the bronze in the 50-meter freestyle event (28.53).

Newberry is a double gold medallist in the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Champion­ships in Tagum, Davao del Norte two weeks ago, winning the 200-meter backstroke and 50-meter freestyle events. She also captured three silver medals (50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke and 100-meter freestyle) in the competition organized by the Philippine Sports Commission.

The Philippines also pock­eted 10 silver medals and 10 bronzes in Thailand.

Maurice Sacho Ilustre set a new tournament record in winning the silver medal in the boys’ 16-18 200-meter butter­fly event. His time of 2:03.31, which is a new Philippine record, erased the 2:04.04 mark set by Thailand’s Navaphat Wongchareon in Singapore two years ago.

Ilustre, a World Cham­pionships veteran, also got the bronze in the 400-meter Individual Medley event.

Filipino-American Miran­da Cristina Renner captured three silver medals (50-meter breaststroke, 50-meter free­style, 100-meter freestyle) and a bronze (100-meter breaststroke) in the girls’ 14-15 division.

Renner’s time of 59.82 in the 100-meter freestyle broke the Philippine record set by Catherine Bondad (1:00.31) in the 2013 SEA Age Group Championships in Brunei.

Renner also erased the 27.78 record of Jules Ong after clocking 26.88 in the 50-meter freestyle event.

Also contributing to the silver medal haul were Raissa Regatta Gavino (16-18 100-me­ter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke); Camille Lauren Buico (13 and under 50-meter butterfly) ; and Xiandi Chua (14-15 400-meter Individual Medley), while the other bronze winners were Rafael Cruz Bar­reto (16-18 50-meter butterfly, 100-meter butterfly); Akiva Jose Carino (16-18 200-meter backstroke); Philip Joaquin Santos (14-15 200-meter IM), Christian Sy (14-15 100-meter backstroke); Buico (13 and under 50-meter butterfly) and Chua (14-15 400-meter IM).

Santos clocked 2:12.60 in the 200-meter IM while Sy registered 1:01.73 in the 100-meter backstroke. Both are new Philippine junior records. PNA