Danila cops 4th gold but teener steals show

Lizza Danila, assured of a berth in the national team competing in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, claimed her fourth gold medal by ruling the 200-meter freestyle yesterday even as upsets rocked the penultimate day of the Bank of Commerce National Tryouts at the Rizal Pool.

Danila, 23, timed in two minutes and 10.44 seconds to add to her early victories in the 100-m freestyle, 200-m and 100-m backstroke.

Danila, a veteran of four SEAG meets, bested teenagers Marichi Gandionco (2:11.41) and Nikki Santiago (2:14.60) in the five-day meet being staged by the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association for the selection of RP team members seeing action in the biennial meet.

But the day belonged to teen sensation Denjylie Cordero and Bonus Bordado.

Cordero, who just turned 13 years old last week, created the biggest splash by shocking Olympian Jenny Rose Guerrero in the 200-m breaststroke with a time of 2:42.94 in a feat that impressed swimming chief Mark Joseph.

"That’s the future right there, she’s sensational," said Joseph of Cordero, who was part of the RP team that trained in China for three months last July.

Cordero’s time, however, was 10 seconds slower than Fil-Am Jackie Pangilinan’s. Pangilinan, currently in the United States, has already clinched one of the two slots in the event.

"But there’s a chance she might get the other slot, we’ll see," said Joseph, who is expected to come up with the final SEAG roster next month.

Bordado, for his part, also sent shockwaves down the pool by stunning 2004 Athens Olympiad veteran Timmy Chua with a time of 2:25.12 against the latter’s 2:26.03.

Other Day 4 winners were Ronald Guiriba (50-m freestyle) and Kevin Lua (200-m breaststroke).