Wong marks CNMI record in 50m fly

Rezne Wong included the 50m butterfly race to his list of events in the 2011 Summer Universiade and in the process added another CNMI record to his credit.

Wong, who earlier told Saipan Tribune he will compete in only five events (50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, and 200 individual medley), joined the qualifying heat in the 50m butterfly on Monday at the Natatorium of Universiade Center in Shenzhen, China. He timed in at 26.66 seconds to set a new CNMI mark and surpass the record of Kai Staal (27.87 seconds/April 16, 2011).

The 20-year-old swimmer was one of the 70 individuals who raced in the 50m butterfly and his qualifying time was ranked 48th. The U.S.’ Timothy Phillips posted the fastest qualifying time at 23.76 seconds and advanced to the finals with seven other swimmers after ruling Heat 9.

Wong was on Heat 4 and finished fourth in the eight-swimmer group behind South Africa’s Guilio Andrea Zorzi (24.84 seconds), Hong Kong’s Andres Tung (26.52 seconds) and China’s Keqiang Wu (26.60 seconds). The CNMI swimmer defeated Singapore’s Wen Hao Joshua Lim (26.87 seconds), Angola’s Nuno Rola (27.76 seconds), Saudi Arabia’s Hamza Mokhtar (28.90 seconds), and the Philippines Sean Garchitorena (29.38 seconds).

Wong’s record swim in the 50m butterfly came a day before he also posted a new CNMI mark in the 100m breaststroke (1:07.66).

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth swimmer joined two more qualifying races yesterday, but missed the CNMI marks in the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley.

In the 100m butterfly race, Wong submitted 1:00.24, faltering in his bid to shatter the 24-year record of Alex Screen (59.00 seconds/Aug. 25, 1987). He timed in at 28.43 seconds in the first 50m of the race and completed the last 50m at 31.81 seconds. Wong was entered on Heat 3 and finished fifth in the group. Hong Kong’s Chunyin Kong topped the heat with his 57.11 seconds, while Phillips had the best qualifying time at 52.15 seconds.

In the 200m IM, Wong clocked in at 2:13.65, which is more than three seconds off his personal best and CNMI record (2:10.18) made during the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, last month. Wong was on Heat 2 and placed fifth out of the eight finishers. He recorded 29.27 seconds in the butterfly, 34.11 seconds in the backstroke, 38.44 seconds in the breaststroke, and 31.83 seconds in the freestyle.

Wong’s last event in the six-day competition is the 50m breaststroke, which will have its qualifying heat this morning.

Meanwhile, in am email to Saipan Tribune, Wong said Matthew Mancao failed to finish the 156.8-kilometer road race in the Longgang Sports Center due to a crash in the first four kilometer of the event.

“We are very fortunate he is not injured. A biker from New Zealand broke his arm and was sent home. After the crash, there are about 15 cars that followed the riders and many accidents happened after bikers have crashed,” Wong said.