Vietnam Southeast Asian Games (2022) gold medalist Chloe Isleta claimed two outright event qualifications for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships slated December 10-15 in Budapest, Hungary, following an impressive performance in the recently concluded World Aquatics-sanctioned Puerto Rico International Short Course Swimming Open.
Isleta, an alumnus of Arizona State University, secured her spot for the biggest swimming competition this year, registering a Qualifying Time of 1 minute and O1.59 seconds in the women’s 100m Individual Medley and 59.80 seconds in the women’s 100m backstroke.
The 26-year-old De La Salle student, who is pursuing a master's in Communication and Media, fell short in her third QTB attempt, but her 27.62-second clocking in the women’s 50m backstroke tied her own national record, and she won a silver medal behind South Africa’s Tayla Jonker.
“Thank You, Puerto Rico. Up next is WA Swimming World Cup Series 2 in Korea. Hats off also to the leadership of the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. for the love and support,” said Isleta.
Isleta and the rest of Philippine Team members which included SEAG record holder (2023) Xiandi Chua, Fil-American Cristina Miranda Renner, Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, Joshua Gabriel Ang, Miguel Barreto Fil-Am Kyle Gerard Valdez, Rian Marco Tirol, Metin Junior Mahmutoglu, Rafael Barreto, Jerard Dominic Jacinto, Nathan Jao, Lucio Cuyong II, Raymund Paloma (681), Albert Jose Amaro II, and Fil-Canadian Robin Christopher Domingo will try to claim QTB as well as they set to compete in the Cup Series which comprises competition on Oct. 18-20 (Series 1) in Shanghai, China; (Series 2) on Oct. 24-26 in Incheon, South Korea; (Series 3) on Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Singapore.
For the Budapest World Cup, the 23-year-old Xiandi Chua also claimed an outright qualification. The UAAP 85th season Most Valuable Athlete, 2023 SEA Games champion, and record holder registered a new National record while campaigning in the 2024 Australia Short Course Swimming Championships last month in Adelaide, Australia.
The 23-year-old senior student at the De La Salle University taking up Business Entrepreneur got QTB after finishing third in her heats in the 400m Individual medley, clocking 4:45.41 behind heat winner Tara Kinder of Melbourne Victoria Club (4:41.95) and Amelie Smith of ROCKC (4:44.09).
Her time broke the 4:46.08 mark registered by Georgina Peregrina in the New Zealand National Championships on October 5, 2018.
“First Xiandi (Chia), now its Chloe (Isleta) who made it past the qualifying securing them slots for the World Aquatics World Cup. Congratulations, as I said before, the road to greatness has just started for them,” said Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) Secretary General Eric Buhain.
Buhain said the Philippine Team members' impressive showing in the international scene would inspire the young swimmers, including the more than 500 participants in the second leg of the Speedo ‘Go Full Speed’ Championships set this weekend at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool in Malate Manila.
