Coseteng to pursue bid to break Guinness mark

MANILA, Philippines - Foiled the last time, organizers of the “Great Pinoy Peace and Unity Swim” are not conceding their bid to put the country in the record books.

Appearing in the PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Ave. yesterday, former Senator Nikki Coseteng bared plans of attempting another shot at breaking the current Guinness world record for the most number of swimmers in a non-stop 24-hour marathon relay.

Through her Diliman Preparatory School and the Susan Papa Swimming Academy, Coseteng organized a two-day event last Dec. 10-11 in an effort to topple the existing swimming relay mark being held by Italy, which produced 5,028 people last July who swam 60 feet each inside 24 hours.

But organizers came 496 short of the world record as only 4,532 swimmers finished the relay.

Coseteng however, is not easily disheartened.

“We’re planning again another attempt by next year. We’re going to announce the details sooner,” said the first lady team manager in Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) history during the forum presented by Outlast Battery, Pagcor and Shakey’s.

The former Senator expressed her disappointment that the leadership of the Philippine Aquatics Sports Association (PASA) under president Mark Joseph, didn’t really extend its full support to the cause which aimed to unite as many people in a single place within a 24-hour span through the sport of swimming.

Although Joseph stood to his words that he won’t be suspending national swimmers who took part in the affair, Coseteng said the PASA president decided to hold time trial races among members of the Philippine team during the same day, and staged another event which the national pool members needed to attend.

“I believe the problem is within the swimming leadership and not among the swimmers themselves,” lamented Coseteng.

But only for trying to break the record and gather as many people – including celebrities, athletes, and even presidential nephew – for a common cause already made the swimfest a success, according to the lovely Senator.

“Sa akin at the time, hindi na muna ’yung point to break the world record,” she said. “Just to hold an event with the most number of swimmers in Philippine record, just to gather thousands of swimmers nationwide just for a common cause, that to me was already mission accomplished.”