Kayla Sanchez can now practice her sights on Paris. —AFP
The wait is over for Kayla Sanchez. And for Philippine sports activities.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) introduced that the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has waived the three-year residency on Sanchez’s nationality swap, paving the way in which for the previous Canadian standout to take goal on the Paris Olympics.
“That is excellent news for Philippine swimming. We gained’t have to attend two extra years for her to [be eligible to] signify our nation within the Olympics,’’ stated POC president Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino.
The go-signal additionally frees Sanchez to compete in high-caliber overseas meets, that means she may get extra preparation time for her Olympic bid than she did when she represented the nation within the Asian Video games (Asiad) in China earlier this 12 months. Regardless of her lack of competitions for over a 12 months, Sanchez almost reached the rostrum in two particular person closing appearances on the Asian Video games, erasing nationwide data alongside the way in which.
Tolentino traveled all the way in which to the Canadian Olympic Staff headquarters in Toronto and obtained the IOC assurance that Sanchez couldn’t gun for a Paris berth.
Earlier than getting the IOC inexperienced gentle, Sanchez obtained the approval from worldwide swimming federation World Aquatics to modify nationalities, permitting her to compete within the Asiad two months in the past.
Out of 4 particular person occasions she joined in China, the 22-year-old ace, whose dad and mom had been born within the Philippines however migrated to Canada, certified within the finals of the ladies’s particular person 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle.
12 relay medals
“She’s one in every of our medal prospects within the Olympics. We’re glad that she is going to lastly signify us in Paris,’’ stated Tolentino, who wrote the IOC on Nov. 8 requesting the latter to waive the three-year residency rule athletes who swap nationalities are required to undergo.
Sanchez’s mother Susana is from Baguio Metropolis whereas her father Noel is from Mabalacat, Pampanga. Sanchez caught the eye of Philippine swim officers when she helped Staff Canada declare a silver medal within the girls’s 4x100m freestyle relay and a bronze within the 4x100m medley relay within the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Based on Tolentino, Sanchez may make it to Paris by means of particular person qualification or relay qualification.
“The IOC Govt Board determined to consent to your request for exemption from the three-year ready interval and thus affirm the eligibility of Ms. Kayla Sanchez to signify the Philippines on the Olympic Video games Paris 2024, topic to qualification,’’ the IOC wrote to Tolentino.
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Sanchez delivered a mixed 12 relay medals from the world championships and the Olympics for Staff Canada.