By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Filipino swimmers came close to qualifying to the finals of the mixed 4×100-meter freestyle relay following their record-breaking performance in the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar on Saturday, Feb. 17.
The team of Jarod Hatch, Kayla Sanchez, Teia Salvino and Jerard Jacinto mustered all their might and timed 3 minutes and 36.53 seconds but fell short of making into the Top 8 by finishing ninth to advance to the final round.
Their time was four seconds slower than last qualifier Hong Kong, who clocked 3:32.19.
Still, their performance erased the five-year-old Philippine record of 3:37.14 set by Luke Gebbie, Nicole Oliva, James Deiparine and Remedy Rule also in the World Championships held in Gwangju, South Korea.
China topped the qualifiers with a new Asian mark of 3:24.47, followed by Canada, Australia, Italy, United States, Slovakia and Hong Kong.
Thanya Dela Cruz was also a hairline close to advancing to the women’s 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 31.27sec for 17th place, just 0.02sec behind last qualifier Ana Pinho Rodrigues of Portugal, who posted 31.25sec.
Jacinto, for his part, managed 23rd in the men’s 50m backstroke with a time of 25.92sec, slower than his PH mark of 25.56sec he posted at last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.
Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi was also at far 40th place in the women’s 50m free and did not advance to the semis after clocking 26.14sec.
The PH team hopes to close out its campaign on a high note as it competes in the women’s 4x100m medley relay and the women’s 400m medley (Xiandi Chua) at presstime.
