Philippines Swimming 2014-2021 Comprehensive #1 Guide

PHI SWIMMING’S ALIVE—BARELY

By Red N.A. Dumuk

(March 2022)

From the saving grace of PHI contingent in Southeast Asian Games to a non-entity in dire need of a lifesaver. That is the lamentable tale of PHI Swimming.

In 1989, PHI was predicted to amass 59 golds. Alas, it could only produce 26, a negative variance of 56%. Against the backdrop of the worst PHI standing then, fifth, swimmers Buhain and Thomson provided luster as they kicked in more than one-fifth of the PHI’s gold output. The duo’s share was the most among the nine sports which minted gold. The biggest shock was: basketball was not in the roster; the second time it was missing.

Buhain posted SEA Games and Philippine national records enroute to claiming three gold medals. Not to be outdone Thomson, not yet 15 then, equaled Buhain’s feat—three golds all in record times. And more….

Thomson outshone Buhain for she was declared Female Most Valuable Player of the 15^th Southeast Asian Games. Buhain was not accorded the same accolade, an Asian Games record he rewrote, notwithstanding.

Then Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Sering, perhaps in an effort to quiet the yells of debacle from some quarters declared, “We’ll come back fighting.” Then Project: Gintong Alay executive director Arturo Ilagan was more forthright. He said, “Philippines was now three years behind its regional rivals.”

Buhain helped big time in restoring Sering’s credibility and, in so doing, belied Ilagan’s observation two years back. In the 16^th SEA Games dubbed as “Miracle of “91”, Buhain outsparkled his partner in the distaff side as this time he emerged as the male MVP of the SEA Games.

Thomson collared two gold medals and settled for two silvers while Buhain romped off with five (including one from relay). With additional golds from Leo Najera and Lee Patrick Concepcion, swimming’s total of nine golds was eclipsed only by wushu’s and shooting’s 10s.

In PHI’s maiden hosting of the SEA Games 10 years back during the heyday of the Gintong Alay, swimmer William “Billy” Wilson tallied 3-1-1 which was second only to bowling world champion Bong Coo’s 4-2-0.

In the 1978 Asian Games Asian Games, Coo reaped three of PHI’s 4 golds with swimmer Gerard Rosario snaffling the other gold in one of the bright moments of PHI Swimming in the Asiad. The previous edition saw Rosario tote a 0-2-3 output, the most outstanding among Filipino campaigners who aggregated 0-2-12.

Freestylist Jairulla Jaitula figured in one-third and one-twelfth of the 9-silver and 12-bronze harvest, respectively, in the 1970 edition of the continental meet. Another freestyle specialist Helen Elliot four years earlier shared five to PHI’s 15 silver medal haul. Boxer Ricardo Fortaleza saved PHI from a gold shutout in 1970.  Another boxer, Rodolfo Arpon, and discus thrower Josephine de la Viňa were the only 1974 gold medalists.

Other swimmers who caused the Philippine flag to be raised to the tune of Lupang Hinirang included: 1951- Artemio Salamat, Jacinto Cayco and the 3 x 100m Medley Relay team of Salamat, Cayco and Marhatab Rajab; 1954- Haydee Coloso-Espino (2), Parsons Nabiula and Jocelyn von Giese; 1958- 4 x 100m Medley Relay team of Jocelyn von Giese, Sandra Von Giese, Victoria Cagayat and Espino.

Phi Swimming suffered a gold-medal drought in the Asian Games, spanning from 1962 to 2018.  There was breathing spell with the Wilson and Rosario gilts in 1978 and 1982. Sadder still, from 1986 to 2018 PHI Swimming has been displaying a 0-0-0 count, save for Raymond Papa’s two bronzes in 1998.

Fast forward to 21^st century.

Table below shows PHI’s showing in the SEAG in the 21^st century:

Note: PHI hosting in blue

PHI Swimming’s best performance in this century was attained in 2007, when PHI sank to its lowest position, 6^th, for the first time since her debut in 1977. Close to 20% of PHI’s 41 golds was contributed by our swimmers that finished as runners-up to the Singaporeans.

Miguel Molina uncorked the biggest consolation to PHI delegation. His four gold medals thrusted him to the title of Most Valuable Player of the 2007 SEA Games. Ryan Arabejo pitched in three golds in a stellar supporting role.

Molina was the third Filipino to capture the SEA Games top award. Akiko Thomson and Eric Buhain churned their way to same award in 1989 and 1991 SEA Games. No other Filipino, outside of these three swimmers, has come close to be heralded SEA Games MVP.

PHI Swimming’s best bettered its 3^rd place finish in the 2005 SEAG the PHI hosted for the third time and dominated first ever. Molina grabbed 3 golds with the other MM (Miguel Mendoza) snared one. Adding the five from diving (three from Sheila Mae Perez), aquatics ranked 3^rd in the PHI delegation comprising 38 sports. Only wushu with 11 golds and athletics with 9 also but had more silvers clung to the higher rungs.

That proved to be PHI Swimming’s swan song. Measly two years hence, it was downhill all the way, driving one to pine for the good ol’ days—at least for PHI swimming.

It took a Fil-American during the 30^th SEA Games 2019 to resuscitate PHI swimming after a gold-medal less campaign in four SEAG editions from 2011. James Deiparine’s gilt in the 100m breaststroke, was an early Christmas gift wrapped with a new SEAG record and National standard. His gold topped his silver in the 50m breaststroke.

(Our only Olympic swimming medals—two bronzes—were clinched in 1928 and 1932 by the Ilocano Shark, Teofilo Yldefonso, in 200m breaststroke both ruled Yoshiyuki Tsurata. Yldefonso and Tsurata encountered each other anew a decade later. This instance in a real war, WWII. Both of them were serving as lieutenants in their respective armies.)

Of the 56 sports contested in 2019 SEAG, PHI swimming (1-6-9 medal tally) together with karate (2-1-9), canoe/kayak (1-2-2), archery (1-0-0), bowling (0-1-1) and short track speed skating (0-0-1) ranked 5^th among the contending nations. This means the sextet languished in the cellar for the 50 other sports ranked 4^th and above.

Buoying up the spirits of the members of the swimming community, let’s have a look at the tables below.

                Sports that produced PHI Olympians in the 21^st Century (2000, 04,08, 12,16 & 2020)

Top10 Sports in producing PHI Olympians

As they say, res ipsa loquitor.

In international/world hall of fames, only 11 Filipino athletes have been enshrined to date. Among them was swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, “the father of modern breaststroke”. He was inducted in 2010 under the pioneer swimmer category following his inclusion in the inaugural batch of honorees of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF).

Forty-seven athletes have so far found a niche in the PSHOF, including a “Magnificent 7” of PHI Swimming:

TEOFILO YLDEFONSO                      2010

                                                                GERARDO ROSARIO                        2016

                                                                MOHAMMAD MALA                       2016

                                                                JACINTO CAYCO                                2016

                                                                HAYDEE COLOSO-ESPINO             2016

                                                                ERIC BUHAIN                                     2021

                                                                GERTRUDES LOZADA                      2021

Will 2022 be full of surprises? Hanoi SEA Games and Hangzhou Asian Games, and possibly, Birmingham World Games—here comes PHI Swimming all-out to relive its old glory with overwhelming majority of homegrown talents in the U.S. of A.

https://www.pinoyathletics.info/stats-records/batang-pinoy-records/swimming/

Philippines Swimming

List of Batang Pinoy Records in Swimming