Asian Games: Kayla Sanchez ends individual campaign without medal

Kayla Noelle Sanchez of the Philippines is seen during the 19th Asian Games Women’s 400m Freestyle Swimming Final held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena in Hangzhou, China. (Photo by Luis Veniegra / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)

HANGZHOU, China—Kayla Noelle Sanchez will go home without an individual medal in the 19th Asian Games after failing to make the cut in the women’s 50m freestyle on Thursday.

The two-time Olympic medalist reached the finish third in her heat in 25.79 seconds at the Hangzhou Olympic Centre Aquatic Sports Arena.

The effort though wasn’t enough to propel Sanchez to the evening finals.

Jasmine Alkhaldi, a multiple Southeast Asian Games medalist, also didn’t make it to the medal race, ending up fourth and clocking 26.20 seconds in the same event behind top finishers China’s Cheng Yujie (25.36) and Hong Kong’s Hoi Lam Tam (25.61).

The 22-year-old Sanchez, who secured her Filipino citizenship after helping the Canadian relay team claim a silver and bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, wrapped up her individual campaign.

She also wound up without a podium finish in the women’s 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke.

As consolation, Sanchez managed to break two individual Philippine records in the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle and registered a new national mark in the 4x100m freestyle relay with Xiandi Chua, Teia Salvino and Alkhaldi.

Sanchez will close out her Asian Games stint, her first for the Philippines, on Friday’s 4x100m medley relay.

Meanwhile, the quartet of Chloe Isleta, Alkhaldi, Salvino and Chua advanced to the finals of the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay after clocking 8:30.42.