Palaro standout Anton Della wins silver in SEA Open Water meet

Filipino swimmer Anton Paulo Dominick Della gets his water during a feeding stop at the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships off the Boracay Newcoast in Malay, Aklan. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Palarong Pambansa standout Anton Paulo Dominick Della made an impressive international debut by winning silver in the men’s 10-kilometer 18-19 age group at the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Championships in Boracay on Friday.

Swimming in ideal conditions at the 1.66-kilometer course off Boracay Newcoast overlooking the Sibuyan Sea, Della clocked 2 hours, 20 seconds to finish second in his age group.

The 17-year-old from San Fernando, La Union, who won four gold medals at the last Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur, narrowly missed the podium in the men’s Open division, finishing just five seconds behind Vietnamese bronze medalist Van Dung Cao.

Ngoc Vin Dho won the Open race in 1:58.30, followed by Mochammad Taufik of Indonesia in 2:00.06 and Cao in 2:00.15.

“I swam a tactical race by trying to keep myself in the lead pack. The weather was good from the first to four rounds while from the fifth and sixth rounds it was a bit wavy or choppy,” said Della. “You need to last long in this kind of race, so I drafted behind the lead swimmers so it didn’t get heavy so much before making my move in the last 500 meters.”

“It is really great to have competed because the 10K race is like the ultramarathon of swimming and this medal inspires me to believe I can accomplish something here,” Della said. “I won’t hesitate doing it all over again.”

Filipino swimmer Anton Paulo Dominick Della is all smiles on the podium after receiving his silver medal in the men’s 18-19-year-old age group division the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Dianna Celyn Cruz also reached the podium, taking bronze in the women’s 20-and-above age group in 2:48.17.

Cruz finished 16th overall among 20 entries in the women’s Open division, which was won by Vietnam’s Kha Ni Nguyen in 2:18.29.86 ahead of compatriot Huynh Tu Uyen Le, who clocked 2:19.26.63.

Cruz said she considered giving up after the third round because of pain in both hips. She also revealed she had been dealing with the flu and had not trained for five days before the competition.

“I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to give up after the third round because my hips were hurting,” Cruz said.

“I had a left hip strain while working out here last June. I thought it would be OK now, but then both hips began to hurt. I just thank God I was able to endure it. He gave me strength,” she added.

Della will return to action early Saturday in the mixed relay, where he will team up with Alex Tiu, Graziella Sophia Ato and Nuche Veronica Ibit.

Each swimmer will cover 1,500 meters, with a male swimmer starting the race, followed by two female swimmers before the final male swimmer takes the anchor leg.

The championships are organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Aquatics Inc. and sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Swimming Federation.