14-year-old Samantha Coronel of Makati City has 4 gold medals in swimming. Batang Pinoy @psc_gov @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/zR7NJHIwiI
— June Navarro (@junavINQ) October 26, 2017
VIGAN CITY—The future of Philippine swimming has arrived.
Fifteen-year-old Samantha Therese Coronel of Makati City and 11-year-old Jalil Taguinod of Santiago City continued to create ripples in swimming Thursday by routing their rivals in the 2017 Philippine Sports Commission-Batang Pinoy Games.
Coronel fished two more golds in the girls’ 13-15 100m backstroke (1:06.58) and 50m butterfly (30.27 seconds), increasing her mint collection to four together with Taguinod.
A 10th grader from Colegio de San Agustin who had five gold medals in the 2015 BP, Coronel also topped the 200m and 50m back earlier. Coronel’s clocking in the 100m back shattered the Palarong Pambansa record of Nicole Pamintuan (1:07.12) in the same event.
She also broke the 11-year mark of Dorothy Hong in the Palaro (32.62 seconds) with a 31.86 swim in the 50m back. Coronel’s coach is Arnel Aba, a one-legged swimmer who won a gold in the Asean Para Games.
At 5-foot-8, 11-year-old Jalil Taguinod of Santiago City, Isabela can be the future of PH swimming @psc_gov @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/WmpHw86D5H
— June Navarro (@junavINQ) October 26, 2017
Taguinod, who captured the boys’ 12-under 50m breaststroke, 200m individual medley and 50m back titles, added the 200m breast to his treasure trove on Thursday.
The 5-foot-8 fan of swimming icon Michael Phelps clocked 2:45.35 in the 200m breast, almost 10 meters ahead of his pursuer.
Taguinod will represent the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Age Group Championships in Brunei on Nov. 10 to 12 while Coronel has been on the radar of the Ateneo and UP swimming teams.
Jalil Taguinod’s 4th gold (200m breaststroke) in the Batang Pinoy @psc_gov @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/zJikHCyHId
— June Navarro (@junavINQ) October 26, 2017
Over at Caoayan basketball court, Filipino-German Michael Swirtszinsky dropped 36 points as Pangasinan routed Olongapo, 103-85, for the gold.
Roselle Vinluan scored 15 points and Ayen Joy Bautista had 14 as Pangasinan also won the girls side with an 86-42 ripping of Tayabas in the finals.
In athletics, Tara Borlain of Pasig City picked up her second gold in the girls 800m after winning the 3000m the other day while Mark Anthony Torio of San Fernando, La Union, topped the event in the boys’ side.
The 14-year-old Borlain, a three-time Ironkids champion, reached the line in 2:15.49, way ahead of Dasmariñas bets Charmaine De Ocampo (2:26.61) and Aaliyah Ingram (2:28.08).
Baguio City amassed 24 gold, 32 silver and 29 bronze medals to lead the field after four days. Laguna (23-16-12) is running second followed by San Jose City (19-1-4), Pangasinan (14-10-14) and Dasmariñas (13-4-14).
