By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Bella Aaliya Pano led a 1-2-3 Philippine finish in the girls’ 16-17-year-old 3K festival event of the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships in Boracay Island, Aklan on Saturday.
Pano submitted a gold-medal time of 40 minutes and 11.49 seconds, followed by Dominique Gabrielle Lepaco (50:25.27) and Samantha Dainyhel Jamelarin (50:30.06).
Sharing the spotlight was the oldest participant in the 3K men’s festival event, 85-year-old Vernan Certeza of Jaro, Iloilo, who needed just under 90 minutes to complete the event.
In mixed relay, the Philippines wound up fourth in two six-kilometer categories both ruled by Vietnam.
Under fair conditions at the 1.5km course overlooking the Boracay Newcoast, the Vietnamese were in a class of their own in the 14-18 years and 20-year-and-above divisions.
The team of Ngoc Vin Dho, Kha Ni Nguyen, Tu Uyen Le Huynh and Van Dung Cao clocked one hour, 15 minutes and 43 seconds to rule the 14-18 category. Thailand (1:16.50) took the silver while Singapore (1:20.33) got the bronze.
In the 20-above class, the squad comprising Vin Thabao Nguyen, Thi Bac Ngoc Vo, Thi Thuy An Pan and Gu Phuc Tran registered the fastest time of 1:13.20. Thailand (1:16.45) and Indonesians (1:20.21) were second and third, respectively.
The team of Alexander Chu, Nuchs Veronica Ibit, Graziella Sophia Ato and Anton Paulo Dominick Della clocked 1:22.34 in the 14-18 category, while Zhyhed Pheonix Pajas, Makayla Bettina Fetalvero, Stacey Arabelle Bee and Rio Stephen Coliyay submitted the same time in the 20-above.
“I tried my best to catch up in the last leg of the relay but the Singaporean swimmer ahead of me was just too far ahead. Perhaps, if we had more time to train together, we could have performed better,” Della said.
On Friday, Della snagged silver in the men’s 10km 18-19 with a time of 2:20.72, behind Indonesia’s Mochammad Taufik Akbar (2:06.85) who was also the Open class winner.
Philippine Aquatics, Inc. secretary general Eric Buhain said majority of local swimmers were still transitioning from the shorter distances of indoor swimming to the challenges of the longer open water discipline.
“We are sowing seeds for the future with these young swimmers, an investment in open water swimming that will pay off in the long run as we aim to aggressively catch up with the rest of the region,” the former champion swimmer said.
“Given time, we aim to be at par, if not better, than our Southeast Asian neighbors.” (PNA)
