NATIONAL Capital Region tanker Krystal Ava David shone on her first try at pool glory, even exceeding her own expectations.
“I didn’t expect it (to break the record) at first because I thought maybe if I just give my best that would be okay,” the product of Colegio San Agustin Makati said yesterday after ruling the elementary girls 100-meter breaststroke event at the Marikina Sports Center.
“But I’m really happy that I broke the record and beat my personal best. It means a lot since it’s my first Palaro and I’ve been dreaming of going to the Palaro since first grade, so it really means a lot to me,” she added.
David, 12, clocked 1:17.98 to shatter the 1:19.35 record of Ryssa Gavino set in the Dumaguete edition of the Games 10 years ago.
Azula Elise Villanueva of Central Luzon bagged the silver in 1:24.79, while Northern Mindanao’s Cathlene Hengania timed 1:25.48 to take home the bronze.
Also sharing the limelight was Western Visayas sprinter Krisha Aguillon who let out a loud roar after ruling the 100-m dash in the elementary division — five years of blood, sweat, and tears were all worth it.
“Sobrang pinaghirapan ko po itong laro na ito and so happy na nanalo po ako,” Aguillon said. “Need lang ng proper training, rest, and of course, food.
“Dapat proper din iyong food mo. Sobrang daming challenges po pero I’m so happy na nakaya ko,” she added.
Aguillon spoke bagging the gold in the 100-meter run of the 63rd Palarong Pambansa.
A Bacolod Tay Tung High School standout, Aguillon also won the mint in the elementary event of the same discipline in the Vigan Games in 2018.
The solid showing of the Big City bets in the pool boosted the defending champion’s gold haul to seven at press time last night. Calabarzon, raring for so long to emerge on top of the country’s premier sporting event for elementary and high school students, and Central Luzon closely trail NCR with six mints each based on the Department of Education’s official medal count.
Mimaropa’s Quendy Fernandez set a new record after clocking 1:06.35 for the mint in the girls’ secondary backstroke.
Fernandez’s time broke Samantha Therese Coronel’s previous fastest record of 1:06.58.
The secondary boys 200-meter medley relay team of Ivo Nikolai Enot, Jalil Sephraim Taguinod, Ivan Nicolas Radovan, and Hugh Antonio Parto also scored a record-setting performance with a clocking of 1:49.47.
It eclipsed the five-year mark of 1:51.18 also registered by NCR in Vigan.
Western Visayas’ Jennuel De Leon, Lance Magno, Earl Buncio, Troy Castor wound up with a time of 1:50.15 to cop the silver.
The bronze went to Davao Region’s Niel Tebar, Francis Espirutu, Paolo Labanon, Rain Tumulac, who tallied 1:51.09.
David said it was her mother who paved the way for her to take swimming as a sport.
“Initially, it was my mother (who convinced me to try swimming). She wanted me to have a skill that I could use to survive if anything happens,” David said.
The 5-foot David also wants to don the country’s colors in the Olympics someday.
“My swimming influences include Jasmine Alkhaldi, (Jasmin) Mojdeh,” David said. “I’ve been dreaming also of reaching the Olympics. It’s still far but if I work hard enough maybe I could be there like when I’m 20 years old.”
A good coach and discipline as an athlete proved to be among the keys for David.
“I really have a good coach. There’s not much difference. We (other swimmers) have the same body built and some are even taller than me,” she said.
“I think it’s the training and schedule that I had gone through– my sleep schedule, my nutrition, and I have to give credit to my coach and mom for that.”
