Wong completes first event in Shenzhen

CNMI swimmer Rezne Wong debuted in the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China, yesterday and finished the qualifying heat in the 200m breaststroke.

He timed in at two minutes, 27.17 seconds on Heat 3, missing his personal best and CNMI mark by less than four seconds (2:23.35). Eight other swimmers joined Wong in the qualifying heat with Switzerland’s Kilian Bossard topping the field with a time of 2:18.38 and the Commonwealth swimmer placing seventh.

Forty-one swimmers were entered in the 200m breaststroke swim and only seven advanced to the finals. Lituania’s Giedrius Titenis led the list with the fastest qualifying time of 2:11.71, less than three second behind the Games record of 2:08.73 posted by Ukraine’s Igor Borysik on July 8, 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia. Australia’s Christian Sprenger holds the world record in the event at 2:07.31, logging the mark on July 30, 2009 during the World Championships in Rome, Italy.

Wong got off to a good start in his first event, clocking in at 32:96 seconds in the first 50m of the race. He then slowed down in the last 150m, timing in at 37.32 seconds in the second lap and 37.99 and 38.90 seconds in the third and last, respectively.

The 20-year swimmer will take a rest today and will return to the pool at the Natatorium of Universiade Center in Universiade New Town, Longgang District, tomorrow for his second event—the 100m breaststroke race. Wong’s PBT in this event is 1:08.79, which is also the CNMI mark he established on July 26, 2009 during the 13th FINA World Championships in Italy.

Then on Wednesday, Wong will compete in two races—the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley. He holds the Commonwealth record in the 200m IM (2:10.18), which he tallied during the World Championships in Shanghai, China, last month. Alex Screen owns the CNMI mark in the100m butterfly (59.00 seconds) and Wong hopes to eclipse the record that has been in the books for about 24 years (Aug. 25, 1987).

Wong will have his fifth and last event on Thursday through the 50m breaststroke race. He is the Commonwealth record-holder in the 50m breaststroke sprint, submitting 31.62 seconds on July 28, 2009 during the World Championships in Italy.

Meanwhile, biker Matt Mancao was the first CNMI bet to compete in the FISU-sanctioned World University Games after joining the men’s 156.8-kilometer race in the Longgang Sports Center.

However, Mancao was one of the more than 30 bikers who failed to complete the grueling race. The field drew 75 bikers and only 32 finished, including winner Bernhard Oberholzer (3:50:33) of Switzerland.