Chua narrowly bests Isleta in national swimming trials

MANILA, Philippines – Southeast Asian Games record holder Xiandi Chua beat fellow veteran SEAG winner Chloe Isleta in an exciting Individual Medley duel in the Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) National Trials 25m (short course) at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming pool inside the famed Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Business Entrepreneur senior at De La Salle claimed the girls' 200 IM clocking 2:16.22 against fellow national team member and schoolmate Isleta, who was just 0.13 of a second (2:16.35) behind in the event meant to select members of the Philippine team for in the World Aquatics World Series this year.

“It’s too close, but I'm happy with my swim. It’s still a work in progress, especially in my underwater technique. Hopefully, I have more months to train, go back in Melbourne before the competition,” said the Melbourne Swim Club-trained Chua, who reset the SEAG standard in the 200-m backstroke (2:13.64) with a time of 2:13.20 last year in Cambodia.

The World Series comprises competition on October 18-20 (Series 1) in Shanghai, China; Series 2 on October 24-26 in Incheon, South Korea; and Series 3 from October 31 to November 2 in Singapore. The series culminates with the championships from December 10-15 in Budapest, Hungary. 

World Junior Championships (2022) semifinalist Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh finished third, clocking 2:23.25. The 18-year-old Grade 12 at Brent International already secured a slot in the Philippine team bound for the SEA Age Group Championship in Bangkok, Thailand from December 6-10 after breaking two SEA Age Qualifying Time Standard (QTS) in the 50m trials over the weekend.

Isleta, swimming under her own Chloe Isleta Aquatics and a product of Arizona University, got a sort of revenge winning the 100 backstroke in time of 1:00.31 against Chua of Top Swim Club (1:01.14) and Tarlac pride Trixie Ortiguerra (1:03.79) in the event backed by Speedo, Pocari Sweat and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Rising star Riannah Coleman, a Grade 9 student at the government-run National Sports Academy (NAS) in Clark, annexed another sterling performance claiming the gold medal in the girls' 50 backstroke in a