Kayla Sanchez was one of 22 Filipino athletes who represented the Philippines in the 2024 Summer Olympics, but swimming fans were aware of her achievements in the pool. Sanchez represented Canada in the biggest swimming events in the past, a member of the Canadian team that medaled in the relay events in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sanchez, who was born in Singapore, was given the chance to swim for the Philippines in Paris. And fans wondered if such a move would improve her chances of qualifying for the finals of individual events. The outcome of swimming in Paris seemed to bode well for the Filipino-Canadian swimmer.
Kayla Sanchez made her first big splash in the 2017 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, winning a silver in the girl's 200-meter individual medley and the bronze in the girls' 100 meter freestyle. Sanchez was also a member of the Canadian team that ruled the relay races.
Canada did well in that meet, winning 15 medals overall. Seven of those medals were more. Only the US had more. Twice as many if one would be exact.) Regan Smith was one of the standouts, winning gold in the 100 meter and 200 meter backstroke. (Smith is a successful senior swimmer of the US team, but an individual gold medal eludes her. She will have another chance in Los Angeles in 2028.
Sanchez was a member of the Canadian team that medaled in the 2018 Commonwealth Games (in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia) and the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships (in Gwangju, South Korea). She swam in the preliminaries, though. Penny Oleksiak was the most successful Canadian female swimmer back then, upsetting the Campbell sisters in the women's 100 meter freestyle final in the 2016 Rio Olympics. In fact, there was depth in the Canadian swimming team. It could be one of the reasons, but Sanchez thought that it was time for a change.
"I am stepping into a new point in my swimming career where I can start to focus on myself and at the same time I'm hoping to help people in the Philippines," Sanchez said. "I wouldn't be the athlete I am today without the support (of Swimming Canada) and how much I grew and learned."
And she was right.
Sanchez competed in the women's 100 meter freestyle in Paris, where she finished 10th in the heats. Fans agreed that it was an impressive result after looking at how the other swimmers fared in this blue-ribbon event.
Canada's Maggie Mac Neil, who won the gold medal in the women's 100 meter butterfly in the Tokyo Olympics, failed to qualify for the semifinals. The Pinay swimmer finished 15th, out of 16 swimmers, in the semifinals. Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, the world record holder in the 200 meter freestyle (short course), finished first. The time difference may be a matter of milliseconds, but Sanchez believed she could do better.
"I'm not super happy with the swim to be honest, but all I can do is look forward and strive to be better," she said. "Lots of emotions. I get to have my family watching, which is really important to me. I know that I have all the support of the Filipinos."
And she has every reason to be optimistic about the near future
The 2024 Olympics will be remembered for many reasons, most of which happened in the pool. The United States underperformed in the Olympics, where the American men failed to win a gold in an individual event until the final day of the competition. Bobby Finke defended the 1500 meter freestyle title that he won in Tokyo a few years ago, setting a world record and sparing his teammates the embarrassment (if he had lost). It was also the first time that the American men's team lost the gold medal in the 400 meter medley relay. China won this event, but it raised suspicion.
Women's swimming was another round between the US and Australia, two fierce rivals in the pool. Katie Ledecky became the most medaled female athlete in the Summer Olympics, but Canadian teenage sensation Summer McIntosh became the biggest star. The 17 year old, who hails from Toronto, is the winner of three individual events. There's no doubt that she's the best all-around female swimmer at the moment, and it would be tested in the 2025 FINA World Aquatics Championships (in Singapore).
Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom won her second Olympic gold in the 100 meter freestyle (in Paris La Defense Arena). It was her fifth Olympic appearance, and she would look forward to her sixth (in Los Angeles). Sanchez is a spring chicken (if compared to Sjostrom), so she could improve and medal in the upcoming meets. She will inspire the younger generation of Filipino swimmers, but they would need an exceptional coach. Ask Leon Marchand.
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