Sanchez: Sorry no medal, but I’m not done

NAGOYA — No medal. No podium. But no backing down either.

Filipina Olympian Kayla Sanchez left the pool in tears at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya Thursday night, after finishing a cruel fourth in the women’s 50m freestyle final – yet she left it with her second-fastest time in five years and her eyes already locked on Los Angeles 2028.

“I guess I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to bring the Philippines a medal, and I’m really sorry that I wasn’t able to do that,” Sanchez said.

It was the same gut-punch as the 100m freestyle final – also fourth.

This time in a blistering 24.75 seconds – breaking her own Philippine national record and marking her fastest 50m free since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Entering the Aichi-Nagoya Aquatics Center, the 25-year-old was tipped as the Philippines’ best gold medal hope in the pool.

But the final was a murderer’s row: China’s world champions Wu Qingfeng and Cheng Yujie, and Hong Kong’s global superstar Siobhan Haughey. Against that field, 24.75 was spectacular but not enough for bronze.

For her long-time coach Derrick Schoof, that context is everything.

“Really good swim for Kayla, really proud of her. She really prepared well for that race,” Schoof said. “It’s taken her five years to get back to this level of performance... couldn’t be more proud.”

Sanchez doesn’t hide the sting, but she refuses to let it define her Asiad.

“I think the greater lesson here is to not be afraid to try. Focus, stay focused, and I’m improving. I’ve gotten faster since my nationality switch, and I’m swimming. This is my second-fastest 50 free since Tokyo in 2021, and I’m not done,” she said.

And she has a mantra to prove it.

“Eileen Gu said it best: ‘Train like you’ve never won and compete like you’ve never lost.’ And I love that. I do the same thing: train very hard, work in silence, and come here for the glory and compete like you’ve never lost.”

And there will be no long break for Sanchez. Schoof confirmed the plan is immediate: regroup, return to university training, and build more power and speed.

The entire two-year runway is now pointed at one thing – the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.