Cebuana swimmer steals the show

CEBU, Philippines - A bemedalled Cebuana swimmer stole the spotlight in yesterday's XTERRA Philippine Championships Off-Road Triathlon at the picturesque Amara Subdivision in Brgy. Catarman, Liloan.

Loren Dale Echavez got the surprise of her life when she came out first during the open water swim. She completed the 1.5-kilometer stretch in 22 minutes, prompting Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia to shout for joy at the sidelines.

"I really did not expect to finish first because there were a lot of pro triathletes joining in. What's in my mind was just to give my all-out best in the race," said the 17-year-old BC Biology student at the University of San Carlos (USC).

Echavez's triumph anchored her team to victory in the relay category alongside their chief backer Tyrone Tan (bike) and Mendel Lopez (run).

 Echavez is not new to setting marks. Last year in Tarlac City, she set a Palarong Pambansa record in 100m freestyle with a time of one minute and 28 seconds. In the same year, she bagged a silver in 100m butterfly and a bronze in trhe 500 yards freestyle during the World School Games in Ohio, Cleveland.

"I think constant practice brought me all this honors. I'll just keep it up and strive even harder to achieve my ultimate dream of competing in the Olympics someday," said the affable tanker.

Loren's elder sister Lorhiz Echavez was not to be outdone as the latter topped the women's 25-29 age-group of the ground-breaking XTERRA event in the Queen City of the South. –EBV (FREEMAN)