By MARK REY MONTEJO
Filipino-American swimmer Teia Isabelle Salvino secured a berth in the Philippine team for the coming 20th Japan Asian Games after beating the qualifying standard in the women’s 100-meter backstroke during the recent National Tryouts of the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Salvino, 20, impressed in her pet event where she clocked 1 minute and 2.34 seconds to hurdle the qualifying standard of 1:02.60 as she bested fellow national team members Quendy Fernandez (1:03.72) and Chloe Isleta (1:04.48).
“The entire Philippine Aquatics family is proud of your achievement and looks forward to cheering you on as you compete against Asia’s best,” the country’s swimming body wrote on its social media post. “Laban, Teia!”
PAI secretary general Eric Buhain said Salvino will join the PH team composed of Olympian Kayla Sanchez, Xiandi Chua, Isleta, and Heather White in the quadrennial event slated Sept. 19 to Oct. 2 in Aichi and Nagoya.
Salvino also reigned in three other women’s events in 50m backstroke (29.35 seconds), 100m freestyle (57.34), and in the 100m butterfly (1:07.71), where she missed the qualifying standard by just four-tenths of a second.
Salvino starred for PH team all in the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia after collecting five medals.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Mojdeh bagged three gold medals after topping the 200m butterfly (2:17.10), 50m butterfly (28.43), and 800m freestyle (10:12.95). Sadly, she came up short of the qualifying time for the continental showpiece.
Isleta, on the other hand, took top honors in the 200m freestyle (2:04.59) and 200m backstroke (2:19.11), while Chua stamped her class in the 50m freestyle (26.49) and 400m freestyle (4:31.95).
Other big winners were Sophie Garra (400m and 200m individual medleys), Bela Magtibay (200m breaststroke), Erin Gwyneth Monzon (500m freestyle), Alyza Ng (50m backstroke), and Arielle Antonio (100m).
In the men’s division, winners were Geoffrey Liberato (50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke), Joaquin Enzo de Castro (800m and 1,500m freestyle), Albert Amaro (50m freestyle and butterfly), Behrouz Mohammad Mojdeh (400m individual medley), and Andrian Eichler (200m and 400m freestyle), Estifano Ramos (100m backstroke), Jennuel De Leon (200m individual medley), Peter Dean (200m backstroke), Joshua Ang (100m butterfly), Kobie Briel Rivera (100m freestyle), Lane Rafael (200m breaststroke), Ivo Nikolai Enot (50m backstroke), and Shibloa Monreta (200m butterfly).
