Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
    View Today
    Sun, Nov 5

    Tokyo medalist Kayla Sanchez switches allegiance from Canada to Philippines

    Tokyo Olympics medley silver and bronze medalist to fly flag for Philippines
    Jul 7, 2022
    undefined
    PHOTO: Gerry Ramos

    FIL-Canadian Kayla Sanchez, who won a silver and bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, is set to represent the Philippines in future swimming competitions.

    The 21-year-old swimmer decided to finally represent the country of her parents' birth in the future after competing for Canada since 2016.

    MORE FROM SPIN
    MORE FROM SPIN

      Sanchez is coming off a silver medal and bronze medal stint in the Tokyo Olympiad as part of Canada's 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley teams, respectively.

      Officials said Sanchez needs only one year residency before being eligible to represent her new country, putting her on track for an appearance under the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

      She was officially welcomed to the national team by Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lani Velasco and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) secretary-general Bones Floro.

      "The Philippine Swimming, Inc. welcomes Sanchez with open arms and is committed to helping her achieve her goals in the next few years, including a possible stint at the Paris Olympics in 2024," said Velasco.

      Kayla Sanchez

      The reigning world junior record holder in the 50-meter freestyle, Sanchez just recently took two silver and two bronze medals in the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

      She also bagged three golds in the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

      The University of British Columbia commit, who is a daughter of a Pampanga-born father and Baguio-born mother, arrived on Wednesday and is now in the process of making her transition to competing for the Philippines.

      ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

      She can't wait to represent her country.

      "It was a matter of timing and a question of timing and now is a good time to bring what I do and what I love here in the Philippines," she said. "I think it's a bigger picture of and a bigger meaning of using what I do and what I love to inspire Filipinos like me to commit to sports and show what they are capable of."

      She was with father Noel upon arriving in the country on Wednesday.

      Her father is from Mabalacat, Pampanga, while her mother is from Baguio, both of whom were former Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who later on, migrated to Canada.

      Kayla said she’s been in the Philippines before three to four times and speaks and understands a little bit of Filipino.

      “I’m proud of my heritage, I’m proud to be a Filipino, and I’m so excited for this new journey,” said Sanchez as she faced members of the Philippine media for the very first time at the POC office.

      CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
      Watch Now

      Somehow Sanchez admitted it was a difficult decision for her to make, especially after representing Canada in various international meets for six years now.

      "But in the end, I'm proud to be a Filipino, and if I inspire young kids and Filipinos in general just to start swimming, to start sport, it just means the world to me," she said.

      At the latest, Sanchez can start representing the county by the 2022 World Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.

      For the Paris Olympics, national coach Aldo Tong said Sanchez needs a three-year residency, but could be shorthered with the support and help of the International Swimming Federation (Fina), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the POC.

      Teofilo Yldefonso, known as the 'Ilocano Shark,' was the last Filipino swimmer to clinch medals in the Olympics after a similar bronze finish in the 1928 Amsterdam (200m breastsroke), and 1932 Los Angeles Games, respectively.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

      Read Next
      Watch Now
      Sorry, no results found for
      PHOTO: Gerry Ramos
    • POLL

      • Quiz

        Quiz Result