TWO swimmers from opposite ends of the globe were added to the list of Filipino athletes who are qualified to compete in the Tokyo Olympics that are due in 20 days.
Filipino-New Zealander Luke Gebbie and Filipino-American Remedy Rule made the roster under the International Olympic Committee’s universality rule according to Philippine Swimming Inc. President Lailani Velasco.
“We’re excited for Luke [Gebbie] and Remedy [Rule] as they are first-time Olympians,” Velasco told BusinessMirror. “I am happy for both of them as I have seen them work hard the last few months trying to get back to form despite the pandemic.”
Team Philippines to the Tokyo Olympics is now pegged at 19 athletes—11 sports—the second biggest delegation after Sydney 2000 (20 athletes) when the IOC started imposing qualifying standards for the Games.
“I received a very positive indication that I was going to be with the team last week,” said the 24-year-old Gebbie, who is currently training in Melbourne, Australia. “I was just at home when I found out. Obviously, I’m very, very happy about it so I’ll do my best.”
Fina Swimming Entries Coordinator Pedro Adrega said in a letter to the PSI that Gebbie and Rule were invited as the highest-ranked Filipino swimmers in accordance with the FINA’s 2021 Points Table which was achieved last June.
Gebbie will be swimming in the men’s 50- and 100-meter freestyle—he has a best time of 49.94 seconds in the 100m and 22.57 seconds in the 50m he achieved in the 2019 world championships in South Korea.
Rule, also 24 who lives in Texas in the US, will be entered in the 200m butterfly with a personal best 2:09.58 and 200m freestyle after registering 2:00.35.
Gebbie was a silver medalist in the 4x100m freestyle relay and a bronze medalist in the 50m freestyle in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, while Rule captured silver medals in 200m butterfly and 4×100 freestyle and bronze medals in the 200m freestyle and 4×200 relay.
“We were hoping to get more to qualify for the Games but we are happy to have these two swimmers represent our country,” Velasco said. “They made us proud at the last 2019 SEA Games and I am sure they will continue to make us proud at the coming Games.”
Jessie Lacuna and Jasmine Alkhaldi represented the Philippines also under the universality rule in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
They joined pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, sprinter Kristina Knott, gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, boxers Felix Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio and Irish Magno, as well as rower Cris Nievarez, skateboarder Margielyn Arda Didal, shooter Jayson Valdez, taekwondo jin Kurt Ryan Barbosa and weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ann Ando on Team Philippines.