Pinoy junior tankers smash long-standing records in U.S.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Amercian swimmers Clark Kent Apuada and Nicole Oliva recently shone in separate tournaments, breaking long-standing records both in the US and the Philippines. 

The 10-year-old Apuada, nicknamed “Superman,” made headlines last July 29 after he shattered Michael Phelps’ 23-year-old junior 100m butterfly record, clocking 1:09.38 in the Far Western International Championship. 

National team swimmer Oliva, meanwhile, set a new Philippine record in the girls 16-18 200m butterfly, posting a time of 2:18.15 at the PC SuperLeague Championships in Santa Clara, California last July 15.

Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, set the record of 1:10.48 back in 1995. 

“Always have fun and never give up on your dreams no matter what anybody says and that was one of my dreams to beat Michael Phelps’ record,” Apuada – who has only been swimming for 4 years – said in a video posted by CNN.com

Oliva also broke Fil-Am Erica Totten’s 13-year-old record of 02:19.18 that was set on July 14, 2005 in the Janet Evans Invitational. 

The rising junior tanker holds the Philippine senior records in the women’s 400m and 800m freestyle. She was also the youngest member of the Philippine  swimming team in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games. 

The 17-year-old was included in the Philippine lineup for the 2018 Asian Games, but she opted to join the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships instead from August 23 to 27 in Japan. – Rappler.com