TEAM Ilustre East Aquatic scooted 30 gold medals—17 of them in BiFin—to emerge overall champion of the Congress of Philippine Aquatics Inc. (COPA) Golden Goggle series’ third and fourth legs at the Teofilo Yldefonso pool at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Jamesray Mishael Ajido, the national juniors record holder in boys 13-under who led his team’s 21 gold medal haul on Saturday—bagged three BiFin and one classical gold medals as Team Ilustre amassed 4,682 points to rule the tournament powered by Speedo and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Milo.
Ajido topped the BiFin freestyle events in 100 meters in 52.27 seconds, 200 in 1:56.15 and 50 in 22.80. The seventh grader from Montessori Integrated School-Antipolo added a fourth gold in the boys 100 meters backstroke in 1:02.47.
The other gold winners in BiFins for Team Ilustre were Zoe Adrienne Terrible in girls 16 years 200 free (2:16.11), 50 free (27.56) and 100 free (1:00.25); Yoana Ysabelle Bersamin in girls 13 years 200 free (2:20.83), 200 free (2:56.99) and 50 free (28.57); Rio Rafaella Balbuena in girls 17 years 200 free (2:18.59), 50 free (27.17), 100 free (1:02.67) and 100 backstroke in classical swim (1:20.87) and Andrina Rose Victor in girls 9 years 200 free (3:01.76).
Also contributing to Team Ilustre’s coffers were Luke Amber Arano in boys 17 years 50 free (22.33), Allyssa Cabatian in girls 15 years 50 free (26.02) and 100 free (57.27), Ethan Dulin in boys 15 years 100 free (55.77), Claine Lim in girls 13 years 100 free (1:20.24) and Ruth Sula in girls 15 years 100 free (1:21.54).
“We included BiFin to expose the discipline to our young swimmners,” COPA president and Batangas First District representative Eric Buhain said.
“The crowd was excited about BiFin,” tournament director Chito Rivera said.
COPA will stage the Inter-School and Inter-Club Championships on May 20 and 21 in the venue.