Artistic swimming flourishes in Bacolod — says coach Giella

Photo: Zoe (left) and Antonia banners PH team in artistic swimming competition.

Artistic swimming, anyone?

Artistic swimming sounds more foreign to Filipino sports fans than traditional swimming events.

Here’s a crash course from swimmer now artistic swimming coach Giella G. Sanchez (Maria Graciella Jasmina Sanchez).

She started by pointing out that, at least on her turf in Bacolod City, the sport is quite popular and doing fine.

Coach Giella said that the 11th Asian Age Group Championship, which the country is hosting, is an excellent opportunity to introduce the sports to many Filipinos. Artistic swimming is one of the sports in the competition besides water polo, diving, and traditional swimming.

“Mahirap po talagang maipakilala ang artistic swimming dahil hindi ito regular na nakikita ng ating mga kababayan.

“Artistic swimming is an Olympic sports, yes, and very popular sa international sports scene, pero dito sa atin, talagang medyo alien pa,” said coach Giella.

Artistic swimming is a combination of gymnastics, swimming, and dancing, according to coach Giella.

Out to help stir interest in Artistic Swimming in the AAGC are 12 and under category (events: Figures and Solo Free Routine – the song is Mambo Italiano) Zoe Lim. She is 12 years old, and in youth 13-15 years old (events: Figures and Solo Free Routine – the song is New York). Antonia Lucia Raffaele is 13.

“Zoe is from St. John’s Institute – Bacolod, and Antonia is from St. Scholastica’s Academy- Bacolod. They both started with me when they were three years old in our learn-to-swim program, WeSwim Aquatics. And they started competing in swimming three years later. Their serious artistic swimming training started when they were 9 (Zoe) and (Antonia).

“Antonia joined the Singapore Invitational Artistic Swimming Championships back in 2019… And with Zoe, they did several Online / Virtual Artistic Swim competitions during the pandemic (2021 – 2022). They competed in the Australian Artistic Swimming Age Group Championships, South African King Fisher Artistic Swimming Invitational, and New Zealand Artistic Swimming Age Group Nationals.”

“Artistic Swimming started in Bacolod City in 2018 when Coach Reina Suarez did a workshop with us. Together with my sister (Giselle Tan), we joined the program that Coach Reina started in Bacolod. Our first two swimmers Carmina Tan (the one who competed in the last Asian Age Group Champs in India in 2019) is now based in California, USA since last year, and is training there for Artistic swimming. She helped us prepare Zoe and Antonia for AAGC by helping us make their hybrids for the routines and updating us with all the new rules for the sport,” said coach Giella.