Aquatics at its best after 1991 Games

LOS BANOS, Laguna–The Philippine aquatics team has surpassed expectations and performed creditably well in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at the Trace Aquatics Center here.

Thanks to a deluge of gold medals in diving and a triple gold medal feat by Miguel Molina in swimming, RP collected a total of nine gold, seven silver and eight bronze medals, its biggest performance since scooping 10 gold medals in the 1991 Manila Games.

The Nationals also finished second behind the unsinkable Singaporeans, who clinched the overall pool title with a whopping 14-gold, nine-silver and 11-bronze medal haul.

"Philippine aquatics has performed its best in the SEA Games since 1991," said Mark Joseph, who replaced Chito Ilagan as Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president last year.

"We are going to use this SEA Games as a benchmark to evaluate our programs and chart a new course towards success in the years to come," he added.

The United States-trained Molina, 20, came through with the best effort with three gold medals—400-meter and 200-meter individual medley and 200-m breaststroke-and a silver medal and a bronze in the 200-m freestyle and 4x100-m medley relay, respectively.

Diver Sheila Mae Perez likewise had three gold medals in the 3m springboard synchronized with Ceseil Domenios, 3m springboard and 1m springboard to become the Games’ first triple gold medalist.

RP sourced its other gold medals from Miguel Mendoza (1500-m frestyle), Zardo Domenios and Nino Carog (3m springboard synchronized) and Rexel Ryan Fabriga and Kevin Kong (10-m platform synchronized). Fil-Ams Jacklyn Pangilinan and Erica Totten also fared well, taking home two silver medals apiece. Totten, who trained in the prestigious Bolles Swimming School in Florida, had more bronze medals, three against Pangilinan’s two.

Rexel Ryan Fabriga and James Walsh had one silver medal each in the 10m platform and 200-m butterfly, respectively, while RP’s water polo team surpassed its bronze medal finish in Vietnam with a silver medal effort.

RP got its other bronze medals from Timmy Chua (100-m breast), Ryan Arabejo (1500-m freestyle).