Amid easing restrictions, PH swimmers go back to training

Briefly sidetracked by the global coronavirus health crisis, Filipino Olympic swimming aspirants James Deiparine, Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie will soon be back in the pool to regain lost ground in their quest to make the Tokyo Games next year.Deiparine, the 100-meter breaststroke Southeast Asian Games champion and record holder, lost a little weight during the quarantine period in Los Angeles, California, but should return to his usual racing form in no time.

“This could be due to the fact that I lost a little bit of muscle from not being able to do my usual sprint training in the water and lift the heavier weights in the gym,” said Deiparine, who usually races at around 80 kilograms (176.37 pounds).

The 27-year-old law student satisfied the decadelong, gold-medal hunger of the Philippines in SEA Games swimming by ruling his pet 100-meter breaststroke.

The postponement of the Tokyo Summer Games for next year due to the pandemic would give Deiparine and the others more time to improve their clockings and better their chances of qualifying.

Though there are no Olympic qualifying meets slated yet, the Sydney-based Gebbie has been working out using jump ropes and weights before plunging back into the pool early this month.

Gebbie, who set a national record in the 50-meter freestyle (22.62 seconds) during the SEA Games, is looking to wear the Philippine colors in Tokyo in the same event as well as in the 100-meter free.Nearly capturing another gold for the country in the 200-meter butterfly during the SEA Games, Rule, meanwhile, was able to manage her racing weight while staying at home during the lockdown in Austin, Texas.

Rule is aiming for an Olympic spot in the 200-meter fly where the 23-year-old clocked 2:10.99 for the silver and a national record in the event, just a heartbeat away from winning it against Quah Ting Wen of Singapore (2:10.97). INQ