FOUR promising junior swimmers led by Kail Dominic Kahulugan and Gideon Ancheta registered multiple gold medal feats even as Noel Celwyn Cartera and Adriana Yulo sparkled in the senior and special child division on Saturday at the start of the 2022 FINIS Long Course National Championships at the New Clark Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.

The six-year-old Kahulugan of KLW Swim Team swept all his five events in his age category, winning the 50m freestyle in 49.57 seconds as well as the 100m breaststroke (2:26.05), 200m individual medley (4:20.90), 100m butterfly (2:06.00), and 50m backstroke (57.62).

Ancheta matched Kahulugan’s dominance with his own remarkable performances in the boy’s 7-year-old class, claiming the gold in 200m IM (3:43.71), 100m fly (2:02.42), 50m back (52.30), 100m breast (2:05.56) and 50m free (42.40) assuring themselves for the Most Outstanding Swimmer (MOS) Award in the culmination of FINIS Philippines 2022 programs and activities.

“Let me assure all Filipino swimmers that FINIS will be doing its best to provide the right platform in their quest for sports excellence. Hangga’t may swimmers may tournament tayo sa FINIS. Next year, we’re planning much bigger tournaments,” said FINIS Philippines Managing Director Vince Garcia.

Garcia added that FINIS will expand its program not just for regular swimmers but also to people with disabilities and children with special attention.

“Walang maiiwan, lahat itataguyod natin. We seen the best of them all year round. Nakita nman ninyo yung performance ng mga atleta nating with mild autism,” added Garcia, proud ‘Godfather’ of the TODO Paratriathletes squad.

Garcia’s statement referred to Cartera and Jarreth Dean Henthorne, both born with Moderate Autism with Severe mental/intellectual Disability, and made their marks in the boys 19-over class with the former collecting five gold medals in the 50m free (27.54), 200m IM (2:38.45), 100m fly (1:10.38), 50m back (33.37), and 100m breast (1:26.17).

Henthorne finished second in 200m Im (4:39.89) and claimed the bronze in the 100m fly (2:28.13),100m breast (2:42.02), 50m free (44.88) and 50m back (50.61). He collected eight silver medals in the Luzon leg of the series last December 3.

Cartera, a Grade 12 student from Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus in Iloilo City is part of the team that will participate in the International Autism Challenge in Germany in June next year.

Yulo of JBL Swim Club flourished in the girls 19-over winning the 50m free (30.34), 200m IM (2:50.77), 100m fly (1:23.36), 50m back (37.63), and 100m breast (1:26.26).

Other who won multiple medals are Trixie Ortiguerra grabbed four gold medals in the girls’ 15-16 class, dominating the 50m free (28.86), 200m IM (2:43.28), 100m fly (1:15.45)50m back (32.30), and settled for bronze in the 100m breast (1:31.92), while Theodore Tanpinco topped the boys 9-10 class 100m breast (1:43.33), 200m IM (3:19.11) and 50m back (45.14).