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Friday, March 29, 2024

Hatch rips PH record, becomes 2nd swimmer to earn SEAG slot

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Capas, Tarlac—Fil-American standout Jarod Hatch only had a week’s time to prepare before going to the Philippines.

Jarod Hatch

But the 25-year-old Hatch still battled fatigue to become the second prospect to make the national team on Sunday during the ongoing Official National Swim Tryouts for the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

The Mission Viejo, California-based Hatch shattered a 38-month record in the men’s 50-meter freestyle preliminaries and surpassed the qualifying-A time with his clocking of 24.27 seconds.

Hatch became the second possible member of the national squad after La Salle student Xiandi Chua hit the QT-A mark in the women’s 200-meter backstroke finals on opening day Wednesday.

So far, Hatch is also a prospect for the national pool in the men’s 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly.

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“I may not be ready, because I’m in a deep training block. So I was pretty tired. But I was able to to turn around quickly with my coaches getting me ready,” said Hatch before he plunged into action on the final day.

Hatch now holds three Philippine records after he erased Luke Gebbie’s 24.34 seconds in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and eclipsed the 24.30-second QT-A of the SEA Games.

He also owns the national record 100-meter butterfly and the 4×100 meter freestyle relays.

He outpaced Rafael Barreto (24.86), who made the qualifying time B (24.93 seconds).

Meanwhile, the 21-year-Chua is expected to be on her third stint in the SEA Games in Cambodia with her 2-minute, 17.79-second showing in the women’s 200-meter backstroke finals.

Chua, who has been training in Australia since December, said her qualification was unexpected but her preparations are paying off and it showed with her time of 2:17.90, which was below the QTA of 2:19.90.

The graduating La Salle student had just recovered from the flu when she improved on her personal best clocking and beat Mikhaela Sy’s 2:26.66 for the gold medal.

“It wasn’t something I was expecting, because I came from a fever just last week. I had to go back to a lot of training,” said Chua, who is getting coaching tips from Pinky Brosas while here in the Philippines.

Organizers said a total of 21 swimmers have meet the qualifying time-B, which will put them in evaluation after hitting lower qualification standards.

Two-time Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi has so far hit the QT-B times with her gold medal wins in the women’s 100-meter butterfly, and in the 100-meter freestyle.

A total of 188 swimmers from 102 clubs from as far north in the Ilocos provinces to down southern Mindanao are converging at the New Clark City for the tryouts.

The Philippine Olympic Committee Stabilization Committee has been tasked to oversee aquatics in the country, with Bases Conversion and Development Authority Senior Vice President for Corporate Services Group Arrey Perez taking care of the needs of the athletes, coaches and organizers.

POC deputy secretary general Valeriano “Bones” Floro, also a member of the Stabilization Committee, is also helping around with POC legal head Atty. Wharton Chan.

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