Filipino-foreigners Gian Santos and Riannah Chantelle Coleman continued their superb performances even as local bigwigs came out with an impressive showing in the National Swimming Trials on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Teofilo Ildefonso swimming pool in Malate, Manila.
The incoming freshman at the Columbian University in New York, Santos claimed his third gold medal in style, clocking 1:51.39 in the boys 16-18 class 200-meter freestyle to eclipse the Southeast Asian Age Group (SEAG) Qualifying Time Standard 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).
The 15-year-old Coleman likewise registered her third straight QTS performance after winning the girls 14-15 100-m breaststroke in 1:14.12 , a time enough to better the standard time of 1:14.50.
After her incredible feats in the 200-m breast and 50m breast that bested the QTS, Coleman is now assured of a PH slot in future tournaments.
Not to be left out were Asian Age Group gold medalist Jamesray Ajido, 2022 World Junior Championships semifinalist Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, veteran internationalists Mishka Sy and Ivo Nikolai Enot.
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.
