MANILA – Filipino-Canadian swimmer Kayla Sanchez has secured a spot in the women’s 100-meter freestyle semifinals at the Paris Olympics, held at La Defense Arena on Tuesday.

In her second Olympics, and first representing the Philippines, Sanchez finished 10th overall out of 29 swimmers. Her time of 53.67 seconds placed her fourth in Heat 4, advancing her to the next round.

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey won the heat with a time of 53.02 seconds, followed by Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands (53.22) and Torri Huske of the United States (53.53).

Sanchez, who previously competed for Canada, was competitive throughout the race, staying close to the leaders before finishing fourth. The semifinal phase is scheduled for early Wednesday (PH time).

Born in Singapore and raised in Toronto, Sanchez’s parents are Filipino immigrants from Pampanga and Baguio City. At the Tokyo Olympics, she won silver and bronze with Canada’s freestyle and medley relay teams.

Her father, Noel, remarked on her achievements, emphasizing that ethnic background is no barrier to success in sports.