Future bright for Phl tankers

PHNOM PENH—The future is bright for the Philippine national swimming team and national team coach Archie Lim is convinced it could only get better from here.

Pinoy tankers finished with a 2-6-8 gold-silver-bronze medal haul in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here, the first time the country won more than one gold after 14 years of competing in the biennial meet.

With Filipino-Canadian Kayla Sanchez joining the national team for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China this September, Lim said the Philippines will be stronger moving forward.

"I know a lot of our countrymen are looking forward to Kayla joining. But like I said, if she wants to help the national team with the relays, she would need this crew," Lim said, referring to the other members of the national team here.

"We can see this crew is getting up there. Hopefully, the likes of Xiandi Chua and Teia Salvino will not just win one gold but win more medals," he said. "The other swimmers who got silver and bronze can actually start winning the gold so it's a very bright future for this crew and for those coming to the team."

Chua topped the women's 200-meter backstroke and rookie campaigner Salvino ruled the women's 100m backstroke, the best output from local swimmers since the four-gold medal finish in the 2009 SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos.

Both swimmers also set new national and SEA Games records, with Chua clocking two minutes and 13.20 seconds in the women's 200m backstroke and Salvino 1:01.64 in the women's backstroke.

Jerard Jacinto settled for the silver medal in the men's 50m backstroke while Jasmine Alkhaldi (women's 100m freestyle), Chloe Isleta (women's 200m backstroke), the 4x100m freestyle relay team of Alkhaldi, Salvino, Chua and Miranda Renner, the 4x100m medley relay team of Salvino, Renner, Alkhaldi and Angelyn Cacho and the 4x100m mixed medley relay team of Jacinto, Cacho, Alkhaldi and Jarod Hatch also finished second.

Hatch picked up two more bronze medals in the men's 50m and 100m butterfly events while Jacinto picked up a bronze medal in the men's 100m backstroke.

Alkhaldi also won bronze medals in the women's 50m and 100m butterfly events while Salvino got another bronze in the women's 50m backstroke.

Alkhaldi, Salvino, Chua and Isleta capped of the bronze medal count at eight in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.

Lim said the team's chemistry did wonders for the country's campaign.

"The dynamics of the team is really good. We have the young guns and the veterans and they are all just respecting and helping each other," Lim said.

"We had swimmers who grew up in the United States and some who grew up in Marikina and in some other places and they all helped each other; they talked to one another and cheered one another.

"Besides the medals, them supporting each other is a good indication for Philippine swimming," Lim said.