Davao City standout tankers Ivo Nikolai Enot and Paolo Miguel Labanon will make their debut in the 11th Asian Age Group Aquatics Championships, a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics and the world swimming championships, from February 26 to March 9, 2024, at the New Clark City Aquatics Center (NCC) in Capas, Tarlac.
Enot, an 18-year-old Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Grade 12 student, will compete in five individual events along with two relay events awaiting confirmation.
He spends three hours of daily pool training with his Harpoons teammate and undergoes individual land training afterward.
"Well, it’s overwhelming to know that I'm competing against swimmers from over 38 countries in an Olympic qualifying competition, but I know I’ve been preparing for this and I knew this day would come," Enot, who won five golds for Davao City in the 2023 Batang Pinoy national championships, said in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao on Tuesday, February 13.
He also said that he's at least 85 percent ready for the competition as he just has to complete his tapering week and get a ventosa body massage before the competition week starts.
He acknowledged the challenging journey ahead, particularly in achieving his Olympic dream, but remains optimistic, setting his expectations reasonably for his first Asian Age Group appearance.
"To be honest, I'm still far away from my Olympic dream. The qualifying time in my favorite event which is the 100m backstroke is still far from reality. At least makapasok for finals (I would like to at least just make it to the finals). Since this is my first time joining Asian-Age, I’ll be setting my expectations kinda low," Enot said. He recently swept seven gold medals in the division meet.
On the other hand, Labanon, a Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MMCM) Grade 12 student, anticipates gaining valuable experiences in the championships.
"I'm feeling a mix of excitement, nervousness, and determination even though I know that there are more swimmers who are stronger than me. I will just focus on my own performance and see it as a chance to improve," he said in a separate interview.
Departing for Manila on February 22, he will join his fellow qualified Filipino swimmers in heading to New Clark City (NCC) on February 23 from the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
During their two-day training at NCC with designated Philippine coaches, Rodriguez will be part of the coaching team.
Labanon will compete in freestyle (1,500m, 800m, 400m, 200m), butterfly (200m), and two relay events.
The 2023 Batang Pinoy boys 16-17 most valuable player (MVP) added, "My target is to have a medal. If not, just beat my time."
Labanon will also see action in the Davao City Athletic Association (Dcaa) Meet 2024, which will open on February 20. MLSA