NATIONAL TRYOUT. Swimmers compete in the national tryout at the Teofilo Ildefonso pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila on Friday (July 7, 2023). The Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) holds tryouts to select the members of the team going to the Southeast Asia Age Group Championships in Indonesia next month. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Four swimmers have gained provisional slots in the team bound for the Southeast Asia (SEA) Age Group Championships during the opening of the national tryouts held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila on Friday.
Catherine Cruz (Mabalacat Race Pace Swim Team), Arabella Nadeen Taguinota (Pasig City Swimming), Peter Cyrus Dean (Killerwhale Elite Swim Team Quezon) and Ivo Nikolai Enot (Ayala Harpoons Swim Club) met the qualifying time standard (QTS) set by the Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) in their respective categories.
Cruz clocked two minutes and 13.15 seconds to beat Daryn Santamaria (Ilocos Sur) and Jada Corine Cruz (Ilustre East Aquatic) in the girls’ 14-15 200-meter freestyle that has 2:13.23 QTS.
Taquinota won the girls’ 14-15 100m backstroke over Patricia Santor (Ilustre) and Daniella Gregorio (Lipa City) with a time of 1:15.57, surpassing 1:17.89 QTS.
Dean (27.97) and Enot (28.07) were the top two finishers in the boys 16-18 50m backstroke, both surpassing the QTS (28.10). Estifano Ramos (Golden Sea) was third (28.25).
"It was great to see the enthusiasm of the young swimmers to participate in the national tryouts because they didn't experience this before,” PSI secretary general Eric Buhain said.
Buhain, who won five gold medals in the 1991 Manila SEA Games, promised that PSI will make all its programs inclusive “for the sake of our athletes and the growth of sports in aquatics.”
“This is our payment for the trust the swimming community gave us," he said. "The national tryouts that many are looking for, we will do it immediately to give everyone the opportunity to show their skills and be included in the national team. We will tour the entire Philippines to select the best of the best.”
Meanwhile, coach Chito Rivera said the four swimmers were given provisional slots in the team because more national tryouts are scheduled to be held in North Luzon (Vigan, Ilocos Sur) and Visayas (Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental) on July 21-23.
"We will consolidate all the results of the tryouts before we officially announce the qualified ones. The top three qualified in each event are the ones we will send to the SEA Age Group," said Rivera, who is organizing the tryouts supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Speedo. (PNA)
