RECORDS are expected to fall again in the swimming meet of the Palarong Pambansa when it kicks off next week in Laoag City as a new generation of young swimming prospects is projected to challenge the 13 records set last year.
Region IV-A star swimmer Jasmine Mojdeh will no longer be around, having finished her final year in 2024, with two records in the secondary girls’ 200-meter butterfly and breaststroke events.
With Mojdeh going to the University of Southern California this year for college, new marks are projected to be broken from talented swimmers from both the National Capital Region and Calabarzon.
Swimming officials made this assurance following minor renovation done on the 50-meter and 25-meter pools of the Ferdinand Marcos Stadium pool, the main venue of the games.
Technical consultant Richard Luna made the assurance that competitions in the aquatics’ event will be of world-class quality, considering that the pool area has met international standards.
“This is according to the inspections that have been done and official measurements that I personally joined in twice,” said Luna, who belied claims that the pool area does meet official measurements and international standards.
Calabarzon standout Peter Cyrus Dean is again expected to shine, after making waves last year in Cebu in the boys’ secondary 200m individual medley, edging the old 2:12.58 mark by mere milliseconds (2:12.14).
Dean and his teammates Joart Calderon, Reinelle Trinidad, and fellow record-holder TJ Amaro tallied a 3:58.39 finish to break the previous 4:00.75 mark set in 2023 by the NCR team.
NCR’s Palaro record-breaker Sophia Garra, who got six gold medals last year, will also be around, with most bemedalled swimmer Alessandra Martin
Earlier this week, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann also made the assurance that all the venues that will be used in the coming meet are ready after attending the final technical meeting of the games in Laoag City.
“In the last meeting, all the issues have been fixed and discussed. We had a look at the opening parade and the venues. They’re all ready,” said Bachmann.
