Pangilinan improves times in US trials

The newest addition to the Philippine Olympic team — Fil-American swimmer Jaclyn Pangilinan — improved her times in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke events last weekend during the US Olympic trials.

According to her father Florante, Jaclyn or Jackie clocked 1 minute 12.04 seconds in the 100 and 2:34.25 in the 200, both surpassing the Olympic qualifying marks.

The 18-year-old, New Jersey-based Pangilinan had previously timed 1:12.82 (in the 100) on Aug. 8 last year and 2:35.01 (in the 200) on Feb. 11 this year.

"She now ranks 19th in the 100 and 17th in the world," Mr. Pangilinan reveals in his e-mail to Philippine Olympic Committee administrative officer Carlos Santos-Viola yesterday.

Jaclyn, the third child of Florante and Audrey, swims for YWCA Middies Swim Club in White Plains, New York under coach Ilan Noach. She has two older brothers (Robert and Emmanuel) and a younger sister (Erica).

She recently graduated from Clifton High School in Clifton, New Jersey, ranking fourth in her class.

According to her father, Jackie will attend Harvard University and become a member of the school team. Jackie’s 2:13.91 in 200-yard breaststroke (short course) surpasses the Ivy League record.

Last year, the Athens-bound swimmer emerged as junior national champion in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke long course competition with best times of 1:11.72 and 2:34.48.

Pangilinan joins James Bernard Walsh, Miguel Mendoza and Miguel Molina as the other swimmers on the RP team. Four years ago, the Philippines was also represented by four splashers in the Sydney Olympics—Mendoza, Carlo Piccio, Lizza Danila and Jenny Guerrero.

Eleven other RP athletes have so far made it to the Athens Olympics—boxers Harry Tanamor, Violito Payla, Romeo Brin and Christopher Camat, taekwondo-jins Tshomlee Go, Donald Geisler III and Mary Antoinette Rivero, tracksters Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito and Eduardo Buenavista, archer Jasmin Figueroa and shooter Jethro Dionisio.