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Cotabato Region’s Tiara Beboney Tudio splashed her way to win not one but two gold medals in the pool event that has been dominated by National Capital Region for the last two years. But, this time, the 13-year old Tudio prevailed not just against the Big City swimmers but the rest of the 16 other regions in the secondary girl’s 100-m and 200-m breastroke at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex.
“I’m very happy with my performance here. I was not able to break a record, though I surpassed my best time in all the events, “said Tudio who dedicated the victory to her father, Santiago Tudio, the General Manager of South Cotabato Electric Cooperative and veterinarian mother, Dr. Rosalinda Tudio.
Tiara, a breastroker Jenny Guerero fan, started swimming at the age of 6 but stop after a year due to asthma. But the Olympian hopeful was back at the training ground the following year. In the 200-M breastroke final, the incoming second year high school student at the Notre Dame Sienna in Koronadal City clocked in impressively, leaving her rival Jodie De Leon of NCR at far second. She clocked in 2:53.02 seconds, almost one minute ahead of De Leon. Calabarzon’s Arianne Lorair Velasquez took the bronze with 2:58.60 seconds. The soft-spoken girl also had remarkable showing in the 100-m breastroke final where she left her foes from swimming powerhouse Calabarzon with pool bubbles. Tudio registered 1:22.81 seconds edging Calabarzon’s ace tankers Velasquez (1:23.85) and Erika Visitacion (1:23.96). “We are very proud of her, “said her mother Dr. Rosalinda. “ We are always here to support her in every competition she’s participating in, “. Dr. Rosalinda is hopeful that her daughter could play international competitions. “We really want that she could compete in the international scene, “said the supportive mother,
Ramil Jagurin, Cotabato Region swimming coach, was amazed by the performance of Tiara. “She improved her best time here in Palaro and that was all golden performances, “ said Jagurin. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)