Jomlun rules HK swimfest

HONG KONG - Davao City prodigy Jefferson Jomlun ruled six events in the 11-12 age class as the Philippines splashed to 22 of a possible 54 gold medals at the start of the two-day, six-nation 24th annual Mantas 2000 Invitationals in the Shing Mun Valley Swimming Complex, Tsuen Wan, last Saturday.

The host club Mantas took 21 gold medals, five by nine-year-old Natalie Durant.

Jomlun, 12, broke his own 100-meter freestyle record set here last year when he clocked 59.74 seconds to finish 13 strokes ahead of runner-up Angelo Gardia. He was the only swimmer among 17 in his age group to time less than a minute.

Two other meet records were broken by 1997 Southeast Asian Games veteran Althea Lim, who flew in from Eastern Michigan University on spring break, and Yeng Lan Beller of Vietnam. Lim, 18, timed 1:09.81 in the 15-and-over girls 100-meter backstroke to eclipse Akiko Thomson's record of 1:11.02 set in 1991. Beller, 11, swam a record 1:09.29 in the 11-12 girls 100-meter butterfly.

Lim, a sophomore scholar at Eastern Michigan where Ryan Papa also swam, arrived in Manila last Thursday then took a flight here the next day to join the Ayala Heights Harpoons club coached by her brothers Aris and Archie. The highlight of her career was bagging seven gold medals at the Philippine National Games in Cebu in 1996.

There were 103 Filipino swimmers from nine clubs entered in this year's meet which was started by the late British Army Capt. Harry Wright here in 1976. The Filipino clubs were the Harpoons, Bert Lozada's Arctic Penguins, Blue Marlins from the Elorde Sports Center, Manila Seahawks of Pandacan, Quezon City Waves, International School of Manila Sailfish, Sea Dragons of Camp Crame, Philippine Columbian Association Stingrays, and Alabang Country Club Gators.

Other clubs were the host Mantas, Jakarta International School Aqua Dragons, Beijing Dragon Fire, Beijing Pandas, International School of Bangkok Panthers, Royal Bangkok Sports Club, Saigon Sharks, and Taipei American School Tigersharks.

The 17-team meet drew 260 swimmers, 77 from the Mantas.

Jomlun, a second year high school student at Olivarez College, anchored coach Abdul Guillot's Blue Marlins. He grabbed gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter breaststroke, 100-meter butterfly, 50-meter backstroke, 200-meter individual medley, and 200-meter freestyle. His Marlins teammate Wilven Hussin, 14, pocketed three golds in the 13-14 boys 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley.

Matthew Tano, 10, also made waves on opening day. The Quezon City wunderkind took four golds in the 9-10 boys 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, and 200-meter freestyle. His twin brother Mark pocketed silvers in the same four events.

Lim added a gold in the 200-meter individual medley despite jet lag.

Gators' mainstay Luigi Manotok, 19, picked up golds in the 15-and-over boys 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley.

Other Filipino gold medalists were the Seahawks' Bea Delmundo, the Gators' Mimi Lucas, the Sea Dragons' Carlo Esguerra, the Stingrays' Carmina Quilala, and the Gators' Joseph Brimer.

Clubs paid $5 for each entry in an event plus a participation fee of $5 a swimmer. The Philippine Sports Commission facilitated the exemption of travel tax and terminal fee for the Filipino swimmers.

Gators' coach Anthony Lozada said the Mantas meet is an excellent opportunity for aspiring swimmers of different age groups to experience the challenge of international competition and to spread goodwill.

There were 44 events that ended the meet yesterday.