MANILA, Philippines — Cambodia Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Xiandi Chua nailed a new Philippine record while campaigning for the Philippine Team in the 2024 Australian Short Course Swimming Championships on Friday in Adelaide, Australia.
The 23-year-old senior student at the De La Salle University taking up Business Entrepreneur placed third in the second of three 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).
In an official transcript received by Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) Executive Director Anthony Reyes, Xiandi's time broke the 4:46.08 mark registered by Georgina Peregrina in the New Zealand National Championships on October 5, 2018.
The veteran internationalist also surpassed the Qualifying Time Standard for the World Cup Short Course Championship slated on December 10 to 15 in Budapest, Hungary.
"On behalf of PAI president Miko Vargas, the PAI leadership extend our heartfelt congratulations to Xiandi (Chua). Her latest success will inspire young swimmers and her teammates for the coming World Cup series," said PAI Secretary General in Batangas 1st District Congressman Eric Buhain.
Chua made it to the PH Team bound for the World Series after collecting 723 World Aquatics points during the National Trials last month.
She will joined in the women's squad by Fil-American Cristina Miranda Renner (717), Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh (690) and Chloe Isleta (770).
The men's team is composed of Joshua Gabriel Ang (749), Miguel Barreto (743), Arizona State University mainstay Fil-Am Kyle Gerard Valdez (715), Rian Marco Tirol ((747), Metin Junior Mahmutoglu (726), Rafael Barreto (723), Jerard Dominic Jacinto (733), Nathan Jao (722), Lucio Cuyong II, (664), Raymund Paloma (681), Albert Jose Amaro II (682), and Fil-Canadian Robin Christopher Domingo (665).
The World Cup Series is a three-leg tournament beginning with Series 1 on October 18-20 in Shanghai, China followed by Series 2 on Oct. 24-26 in Incheon, South Korea; Series 3 on Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Singapore. The Cup Championships is slated on Dec. 10-15 in Budapest, Hungary.
In the 2023 SEAG in Phnom Penh, Chua won the gold medal in the 200m back establishing a new record at 2:13.20. The old mark was 2:13.64 made by Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Anh Vien in the 2017 Malaysia edition. TMT