INQUIRER Sports

SINGAPORE? Three swimmers settled for outright slots to the Youth Olympic Games next year as the Philippines, with only a javelin silver to show so far, suffered another medal shutout Sunday at the Asian Youth Games here.

Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jhessie King Lacuna smashed the qualifying time in the 100-meter freestyle while Banjo Borja matched that feat in the 200m individual medley to earn slots in the Youth Olympics to be hosted next year by this tiny island nation.

Alkhaldi surpassed the qualifying time of 1:00.13 with a 59.87-second swim in the girls? 100 free while Lacuna, who also trains under former national tanker Pinky Brosas at the Trace Aquatics Center in Laguna, booked his second event in the Olympics yesterday at the Singapore Sports School here.

A perennial Palarong Pambansa gold medalist, Lacuna clocked 53.47 seconds to meet the qualifying mark of 53.50 seconds and advance to the semifinals of the boys? 100 free scheduled late last night along with Alkhaldi.

The 15-year-old from Bulacan actually made the grade in the Youth Olympics three months ago during the national tryouts at Trace when he met the standard in the 200m free.

?I want to win a medal, so I will try my best to qualify in the finals,? said Lacuna, one of the most promising youngsters in the national pool.

Alkhaldi, 16, ended up seventh in the heat topped by Yekaterina Gakhokidze of Kazakhstan (57.87), Singapore?s Ting Wen Quah (58.62) and Xiang Qi Amanda Lim (58.81) while Lacuna was fourth in the preliminaries of the event ruled by India?s Aaron Agnel Dsouza (52.07).

Alkhaldi?s 27.56 clocking allowed her to compete in the 50m free finals late last night. Singapore?s Xiang Qi Amanda Lim (25.38) and Tin Wen Quah (25.54) were the top two qualifiers in the event.

Although finishing last in the 200m IM, Borja?s time of 2:11.60 assured him of an Olympic slot.

South Korea?s Jung Won-yong ruled the event in 2:04.64 while compatriot Gil Byeong-hwi (2:04.75) and Thai Nuttapong Ketin (2:07.35) settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.

San Beda Alabang?s Hannah Dato checked in seventh in 2:28.01 in the girls? 200 IM, almost 13 seconds behind Korean gold medalist Kim Seoyeong.

China?s Chen Xiaojun grabbed the silver in 2:18.29 and Taipei?s Hsieh Chih-Lin took the bronze (2:21.65).

In table tennis, Ian Lariba, Elonah Tormis and Stephen Jaca bowed out after dropping their opening matches.

Jose Collins finished fourth overall in the first block of the boys? Master bowling final with 1,788 pinfalls. Consisting of eight frames per block, Collins will attempt to secure a medal after the second block today.