Phl relay team resets record

The Philippine national swimming team set a new national record in the mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay but failed to make the final at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships Saturday in Doha, Qatar.

Led by the quartet of Filipino-Canadian star Kayla Sanchez, Jarod Hatch, Teia Salvino and Jerard Jacinto, they clocked in at three minutes and 36.53 seconds to finish ninth place in the heats.

Hong Kong, composed of Shiu Yue Lau, Ian Yentou Ho, Camille Lily Mei Cheng and Hoi Lam Tam, took the last spot for the final after a time of 3:32.19.

Still, it was a great effort for the national tankers, who erased the previous record of 3:37.14 minutes set by the quartet of Luke Gebbie, Remedy Rule, James Deiparine and Nicole Oliva in the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Meanwhile, Thanya dela Cruz came up short in women’s 50-m breaststroke after clocking in 31.27 seconds.

Portugal’s Ana Pinho Rodrigues made the grade for the next round after getting 16th place with a time of 31.25 seconds, 0.02 seconds faster than Dela Cruz.

Jacinto finished 23rd out of 44 swimmers in the men’s 50-meter backstroke with a time of 25.92 seconds.

Jasmin Alkhaldi, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian, finished 41st in the women’s 50-m freestyle out of 107 swimmers with a time of 26.14 seconds.

SEA Games gold medalist Xiandi Chua will compete in the women’s 400-m relay and the women’s team will be hoping to go deep in the 4x100-m team medley on Sunday, 18 February.

Only Sanchez made it out of the heats in this delegation after getting a time of 54.88 seconds as she finished 13th overall.