PHL swimming coach expects more medals after successful first day in Cambodia SEAG

PHNOM PENH — National swimming team head coach Archie Lim is expecting for his team to deliver more medals after they wrapped up a successful opening game day in the 32nd SEA Games.

The Philippines had seven gold medals, nine silver medals, and 14 bronze at the end of the first day of competition. Two of those silvers came from the swimming team as Jerard Jacinto wound up second in the men's 100m backstroke with an impressive 55.99-finish.

Jacinto's output also allowed him to reset his own national record of 56.27 he accomplished in the World Junior Championships in 2019 in Hungary.

Meanwhile, the women's team also bagged the silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of three minutes and 47.96 seconds.

Two other Pinoy swimmers reached the finals stage with Jarod Hatch and Thanya Dela Cruz falling short in the men's 100m freestyle and women's 50m breaststroke medal events, respectively.

With how his players competed, Lim said he's confident of more medals in the coming days.

"I think it's a very good sign kasi first day pa lang. It's a good start," Lim said on Sunday at the Morodok Aquatics Center.

"It was a very good finish, it was a very good effort for them. Lahat sila (women's team) was, I think, the fastest and 'yun nga, they won a silver as a group so we're hoping na it could serve as a motivation in the next few days na talagang if they just try hard, there's always a chance to get a medal."

("I think it's a very good sign because it's still the first day. It's a good start... It was a very good finish, it was a very good effort for them. All of them, I think, were the fastest and they won a silver as a group so we're hoping it could serve as a motivetion in the next few days that if they just try hard, there's always a chance to get a medal.")

According to Lim, the events that have brighter chances of delivering medals include the women's backstroke in 50m, 100m, and 200m as well as Hatch's pet event in 50m and 100m butterfly.

Lim is also expecting a good performance from Chloe Isleta, who plucked a gold medal in the previous biennial meet in Vietnam after reigning supreme in the women's 200m backstroke. This year, she will look to eclipse her two minutes and 18.60 seconds finish as she will also compete in the individual medley event.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News