Coleman skips 100m breast heats

DAKAR, Senegal — Riannah Chantelle Coleman experienced difficulty in breathing and had to withdraw from the women’s 100-meter breaststroke heats on Tuesday — the second of her three events in the 4th Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

“It was decided that Riannah would be better off resting for at least two days rather than take the risk in the 100,” said Team Philippines swimming coach Ramil Ilustre.

“She’ll have two days to recover for her last event.”

Coleman hyperventilated after the 200m breaststroke heats on Monday and had to be attended to by the YOG Medical Team and was eventually given the green light for the final on the same day, finishing seventh among eight swimmers at the Dakar Olympic Pool.

“It’s the heat,” said Coleman, whose last event will be the 50 meters breaststroke on Friday.

Three other swimmers were treated for hyperventilation on Monday.

The is no air-conditioning in all the rooms at the Youth Olympic Village (YOV) and athletes have been assigned one electric fan each to battle the heat and humidity.

“Riannah’s really bothered by the heat, in fact she’s requested to have four electric fans to be directed on her bed,” said Chef de Mission Rocky Samson. “It’s the same condition for everyone in the village, all countries.”

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino agreed with Coleman’s withdrawal from the event, saying her health and safety are a priority.

“We cannot risk Riannah’s health and safety, she’s young and she has a whole swimming career ahead of her,” Tolentino said of the 17-year-old Coleman.

A room at the YOV has four beds each and male and female toilets are common — one for athletes and another for coaches or officials.

Jamesryan Mishael Ajido was focused in training on Tuesday for his two events on Wednesday — the 50 meters freestyle and 50 meters butterfly which are separated only by three other heats.

Gymnasts Tchelzy Maayo and Hillarion Palles III already checked in at the village on Monday along with their coaches Reyland Capellan and Japanese Kazutaka Hakamada.

Capellan, a former national gymnast who retired after the SEA Games at home in 2019, said training started in earnest for Maayo and Palles on Tuesday.

“It was a long flight and our athletes need to be ready for the competition while shedding off jetlag,” Capellan said.

The gymnasts’ flight took longer than the 30 hours for the first batch of athletes as they had a 19-hour layover in Istanbul, almost a day long, but still pales in comparison with the 40-hour record route Team Australia took to get to the Senegalese capital.