HONG KONG - It was at the Philippine National Games (PNG) in Cebu four years ago when Althea Lim was introduced as a rising star in swimming. She splashed to seven gold medals in an incredible feat that led to a stint at the Jakarta Southeast Asian Games in 1997.
Lim, 18, comes from a swimming family. Her sister Alzina swims for a community college in Florida on an athletic scholarship. Her brothers Aris and Archie were former national swimmers -- they're now concentrating on coaching. And she's an incoming sophomore at Eastern Michigan University where Ryan Papa swam.
Lim flew into Manila last Thursday on spring break then took a flight here the next day to anchor the Ayala Heights Harpoons club, which her brothers coach, in the 24th Mantas 2000 Invitationals at the Shing Mun Valley Swimming Complex in Tsuen Wan.
Despite jet lag, Lim bagged four golds in four events in the weekend competition. She ruled the 15-and-over girls 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter individual medley, the 100-meter butterfly, and the 50-meter freestyle. Lim won in style, breaking the meet record set by Akiko Thomson in 1991 to clock 1:09.81 in the 100-meter backstroke and finishing 10 seconds ahead of second placer Rebecca Allison of Hong Kong in the 200-meter individual medley.
Lim said she hasn't given up hope of qualifying for the next Southeast Asian Games. She's training hard at Eastern Michigan, the same school that produced Red Bull's Fil-Australian Mick Pennisi.
Lim's parents Estanislao and Ruth arranged for her scholarship in the US without Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) support. "Maybe, it's a blessing that I'm not being supported by the PSC because otherwise, I'd be tied down," she noted. "This way, I have no commitments whatsoever. If I decide to quit swimming, I could do it anytime."
But Lim admitted the PSC's support is vital for a productive national swimming program, particularly in training elite athletes.
Lim began competitive swimming when she was five. She made her international debut when she was 11.
Today, the 5-4 butterfly and individual medley specialist is among the country's most experienced international campaigners. She's participated in various Asean age-group, Philippine Amateur Swimming Association, Palarong Pambansa, PNG, National Capital Region (NCR), inter-school, and Asia-Pacific meets.
Lim wasn't included in the PSC's list of 61 athletes for the Atleta program. And that's why she's determined more than ever to prove herself in the pool. She's not finished as an international competitor -- she showed it at the Mantas Invitationals. Lim's enjoying her life as a swimmer too much to give it up so soon. For sure, Lim has a lot more pools to conquer in the future.
Another Mantas Invitationals standout was 10-year-old Matthew Tano who collected six golds in the 9-10 boys 50, 100 and 200-meter freestyle, 50 and 100-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley. His twin Mark picked up five silvers. They swam for the Quezon City Waves of coach Awad Borja.
Matthew and Mark are Grade 4 students at San Beda. They're both 4-8 and excel in tennis, too. The twins joined their first swimming competition when they were seven and haven't looked back since. Their parents George and Marlene even took them to compete in Southern California last year.
Although they like to swim freestyle, Matthew also specializes in the butterfly and Mark, in backstroke. They differ in their favorite subjects in school -- Mark prefers computer and physical education while Matthew likes language.
Coach Anthony Lozada's Alabang Country Club Gators produced three gold medalists -- Luigi Manotok, Joseph Brimer, and Mimi Lucas.
Manotok, 19, was named the most outstanding swimmer in the 15-and-over boys group for ruling the 100 and 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley. Brimer, 19, topped the 200-meter freestyle. Lucas, 10, won in the 50 and 100-meter breaststroke.
Manotok's sister Cricket, a shoo-in for several Mantas golds, failed to make the trip here because she was drafted to participate in the two-week PSC summer camp for national swimmers in Cebu.
The 5-8, 180-pound Manotok is a De La Salle University sophomore. He was eight when he entered his first NCR competition. In 1998, Manotok took the gold in the 200-meter butterfly at the Palarong Pambansa. He has participated in four Mantas Invitationals so far.
Brimer, an Ateneo junior, is built for competitive swimming just like Manotok. He weighs 180 pounds and stands 5-11. His father Mike is a British businessman who has lived in Manila since 1979. His mother Lilia is Filipina. Brimer has competed in the NCR interclub, University Athletic Association of the Philippines, Palarong Pambansa, Pan Pacific School Games, and Asean age-group meets.
Lucas is a Grade 4 student at the Sisters of Mary Immaculate school. Her father Melchor is a doctor and mother Liza, a bank officer. She won her first gold medal at seven in a YMCA novice competition in 1997. When Lucas isn't in the pool, she's in school or studying at home or raising hamsters or painting or playing the piano or racing toy cars. The San Pedro, Laguna, prodigy is a girl of many talents and should go far in competitive swimming.
It's evident that the Philippines has a deep pool of young talent in swimming.