Southeast Asian Games record holder Xiandi Chua, and fellow veteran SEAG winner Chloe Isleta provided some semblance of rivalry as the country’s two swimming stars heated an already high-octane Day 1 action in the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) National Trials 25-meter (short course) on Tuesday at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming pool inside the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
The 23-year-old senior at the De la Salle taking up Business Entrepreneur got a sort of revenge against the 2022 Vietnam SEAG champion winning the girls' 200 Individual Medley clocking 2:16.22, just 0.13 second ahead over Isleta (2:16.35) in the event used as a selection for members of the Philippine Team set to participate in the World Aquatics World Series this year.
“It’s too close, but I'm happy with my swim. It’s still a work in progress, especially in my underwater technique. Hopefully, I have more months to train, go back in Melbourne before the competition,” said the Melbourne Swim Club-trained Chua, who reset the SEAG standard in the 200-m backstroke (2:13.64) with a time of 2:13.20 last year in Cambodia.
The World Series comprises competition on Oct. 18-20 (Series 1) in Shanghai, China; Series 2 on Oct. 24-26 in Incheon, South Korea; and Series 3 on Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Singapore. The series culminates with the Championships on Dec. 10-15 in Budapest, Hungary.
World Junior Championships (2022) semifinalist Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh finished third clocking 2:23.25. The 18-year-old Grade 12 at Brent International already secured a slot in the Philippine Team off to the SEA Age Group Championship in Bangkok, Thailand on December 6-10 after breaking two SEA Age Qualifying Time Standard (QTS) in the 50-meter trials over the weekend.
Earlier, Isleta, swimming under her own Chloe Isleta Aquatics and a product of Arizona University, outsprint Chua in the 100-backstroke clocking 1:00.31 against her Top Swim Club rival (1:01.14). Tarlac pride and Asian Age Group Championship campaigner Trixie Ortiguerra got the bronze at 1:03.79 in the event backed by Speedo, Pocari Sweat, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Rising star Riannah Coleman, a Grade 9 student at the government-run National Sports Academy (NAS) in Clark annexed another sterling performance claiming the gold medal in the girls' 50 backstroke in a time of 33.75 beating Krystal David (34.50) and Jamaica Enriquez (34.92),
The Fil-American beauty also made it to the PH Team off Bangkok tilt with remarkable three-QTS breaking performance in the long course trials – 50-m breast (33.96), 200-breast (2:43.55) and 100-m breast (1:14.12).
Other gold medal winners in the two-day event are Miguel Barreto in the boys 400 freestyle (4:00.87), South Cotabato bet Jie Angela Mikaela Talosig in the girls 400 free (4:32.62); Rian Marco Tirol in the boys 50 back (27.69); Jerard Dominic Jacinto in the boys 100 back (56.11); and Nathan Farrel Jao in the boys 200 IM (2:02.20).
For the complete event results, and swimmers' National and provincial ranking visit the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. official website and Facebook page
