Beijing-bound Molina rips 3 nat’l marks

Filipino tanker Miguel Molina stepped up his buildup for the Beijing Olympics by surpassing three national records recently in the Janet Evans International Invitational at the University of Southern California in the United States.

Molina, 24, the SEAG most outstanding athlete last year, finished fourth in the 200m individual medley in two minutes and 3.22 seconds to shatter the 2:03.46 mark he set in last year’s Japan Open.

The next day, the former University of California Berkeley bet bettered the 200m freestyle record of 1:52.67 he posted in the World Championships last year in Melbourne, Australia with a 1:52.56.

Molina then finished an impressive second in the 200m breast- stroke in 2:16.62 to eclipse the 2:16.88 he made in the 2005 Manila SEA Games.

According to his father Tom in a letter to swimming chief Mark Joseph, Molina nearly broke a fourth RP mark in the 100m butterfly after a 12th place effort in 52.29 seconds.

The Janet Evans International Invitational is where the world’s best converge, especially in an Olympic year to do battle,” said Mark Joseph.

“Miguel’s times indicate he is improving and will be swimming lifetime bests in Beijing that could land him high in the rankings,” added. Molina is currently training in the United States in preparation for this August’s Olympics in Beijing, China.

Other Filipinos currently under rigid training in the US as part of their Olympic preparations are Ryan Arabejo and Fil-Ams Daniel Coakley, JB Walsh and Christel Simms.  – Joey Villar