HANGZHOU. – While her pet event, the women’s 50-meter backstroke, is not included in the roster of swimming events here, Southeast Asian Games multiple gold medalist and national para swimmer Angel Mae Otom aims to savor her debut in the 4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games here to the hilt.
“Siyempre, hindi pa rin mawawala ‘yung kaba pero sobrang saya ko pa rin kasi nag-umpisa ako sa Asian Youth Para Games (sa 2021) tapos tumaas na ng level,” said Otom, recalling how she won a bronze in the 50-meter butterfly in the youth meet held two years ago in Manama, Bahrain.
She emerged as the most bemedalled Pinoy swimmer in the last Cambodia Asean Para Games with four gold medals, surpassing her three mints in the 2021 edition in Surakarta, Indonesia.
She will compete in the 200-meter and 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly events here. The 50-meter backstroke, where she is now ranked No. 3 in the world, was not included due to the lack of entries.
“Kulang po kasi ng entries ‘yung event ko dito. Kami lang at young No.1 na Chinese,” said the limbless yet bubbly swimmer, referring to hometown bet Lu Dong, who bagged three golds in the last Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021.
The mermaid from Olongapo City, Zambales said her focus will be on the 50-meter freestyle “na kaya kong banatan.”
Currently a sophomore student at the UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics, Otom said she is out to bounce back from her fourth-place finish in the 50-meter backstroke in the world para swimming championships held in Manchester England.
“By milliseconds lang, kasi nagkaroon yata ako ng stage fright dun,” rued the swimmer of her maiden appearance in the elite competition where she lost the bronze to Sumeyye Boyaci of Turkey.
