Open water swimming: Women’s field flagged off here at Putrajaya. The Philippines’ Courtney Melissa Gray and Erica Lukang are competing pic.twitter.com/LdAqBvRI7s
— Marc Anthony Reyes (@marcreyesINQ) August 18, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippine open water swimmers underestimated the cold, placid waters of Putrajaya Lake Friday.
Filipino-American Courtney Melissa Gray and Erika Lukang finished in the last two spots of the nine-person field in women’s competition in a 10-kilometer course around this scenic man-made lake that was dug as a flood basin.
Water polo slatwarts Roy Canete and Mico Anota, who moonlight as open-water swimmers, didn’t finish the race.
Canete, who scored six goals in water polo’s match against Thailand, suffered from cramps in his left bicep and left thigh and quit after finishing the first of six laps.
“I noticed I couldn’t move my body anymore,” said Canete while being attended by Philippine medical team.
Anota actually completed the course but didn’t make the cutoff and was marked DNF.
Both Canete and Anota are now doubtful starters when water polo takes on Indonesia on Sunday.