Swimmer Thanya Dela Cruz. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/PSI
Thanya dela Cruz swam to a new Philippine record for the women’s 50-meter breaststroke, giving the teen wonder a ticket to the coming 16th World Fina World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, from Dec. 13 to 18.
It was the third time that the 19-year-old from Ayala Harpoons Swimming Club shattered the national standard after clocking 31.35 seconds in the recent 2022 PSI Grand Prix National Championships at New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Dela Cruz’s impressive required “B’’ qualifying time or QTB that smashed her earlier record of 32.42 seconds accomplished early this year at the Philippine Swimming Inc. National Open, also booked her to the world championships next year in Fukuoka, Japan.
Four new PH age-group records were also broken in the national selection with Joshua Gabriel Ang resetting his own record in the 50-m butterfly for boys’ 16 to 18 years old by clocking 24.94 seconds that wiped out his previous time of 25.10 seconds.
Jamesray Mishael Ajido re-established the standards in the 50-m fly to 26.78 seconds from 26.87, in the 100-m fly to 58.20 from 58.82 and 100-m backstroke to 1:03.07 from 1:03.28 for 11 to 13 years old.
The 18-year-old Ang reached the wall in a dead heat with the 22-year-old Rafael Barretto during the heated 50-m fly finals. They shared the gold and the distinction of becoming the first male local swimmers to have hit the 24-second mark for the event.