THREE swimmers led by two-time Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi will compete in the 19th edition of the FINA World Championships on June 18 to July 3 in Budapest, Hungary.
Aside from Alkhaldi, Southeast Asian medalists Miranda Renner and Jonathan Cook will also see action in the tournament.
Alkhaldi will compete in the women’s 50-meter freestyle event, Renner in the women’s 50-meter butterfly, and Cook in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke.
The national team, led by Philippine Swimming Inc. President Lailani Velasco, left for Budapest late Tuesday. Coach Sherwyn John Santiago left with Alkhaldi and Velasco.
Renner and Cook will join the delegation in Budapest coming from the United States.
“The 19th FINA World Championships is the Olympics of swimming,” said Velasco, who met President Duterte hours before her departure as she attended the final inspection of the National Academy of Sports in the New Clark City Complex in Capas, Tarlac.
“Most of the world’s top talents will be in attendance. We have modest goals,” she said, adding their first goal is to “ride the momentum we gained” during the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games where the Philippines won a gold medal courtesy of Chloe Isleta in the women’s 200-meter backstroke, along with three silvers and the same number of bronze medals.
The main goal, according to Velasco, is for Alkhaldi, Renner and Cook to crack the top 16 in their respective events.
“We can hopefully qualify for the semifinals (top 16). From there, we will see how our swimmers will do. The World Championships is a venue for us to gauge how far we are from the world’s best talents so this is an important event for PSI,” said Velasco, who recently was re-elected to a fresh four-year term.
