Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule will be the two swimmers that will be part of Team Pilipinas for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This as the two swimmers have earned the highest International Swimming Federation (FINA) points among all Filipino swimmers that earned them the universality slots.
Gebbie, 24, accumulated 828 FINA points while Rule, also 24, had 830.
The Philippine Swimming Incorporated submitted their names last June 20 and were confirmed by FINA on July 1.
“We congratulate the two swimmers for making it to the Philippine Olympic team,” said PSI president Lani Velasco.
“We thank them for their continuing dedication and sacrifice to serve our country well and we wish them all the best at the coming Olympic Games!”
Gebbie will compete in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle while Rule will take part in the 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle events.
Gebbie owns both Philippine freestyle records in the 50m (22.57s on June 17, 2021 during the Australian Olympic Trials) and the 100m (49.94s on July 24, 2019 during the World Championships).
Same with Rule as she is the current queen of the 200m butterfly (2:09.58).
Their records hit the Olympic Selection Times set at 22.67 for men’s 50m freestyle, 50.03s for men’s 100m freestyle, and 2:12.28 for women’s 200m butterfly.
For Rule, her 2:00.35 personal-best time in 200m freestyle also gave her entry to the event.
Serving as head coach of the two is Sherwyn Santiago.
Velasco also lauded the other members of the national team like Jasmine Alkhaldi and James Deiparine for doing their best in trying to qualify for the Games.
They join golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan; skateboarder Margie Didal; half-middleweight judoka Kiyomi Watanabe; golfer Juvic Pagunsan; weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz (minus-55) and Elreen Ando (minus-64); boxing flyweight Carlo Paalam, middleweight Eumir Marcial, flyweight Irish Magno, featherweight Nesthy Petecio; gymnast Caloy Yulo; pole vaulter EJ Obiena; flyweight jin Kurt Barbosa; rower Cris Nievarez; sprinter Kristina Knott; and shooter Jayson Valdez as members of Team Pilipinas.
