Two Filipino swimmers including a 24-year-old are likely to clinch spots in the coveted 2020 Tokyo Olympics through a universality slot rule. 24-year-old Luke Gebbie will be qualifying for the first time to the prestigious championship if he gets through.
“Unless you make an A-cut which is an automatic entrance, getting into Olympics is a tightrope. The other option is through Universality. Universality, traditionally, is awarded to one male and one female per country,” he said.
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“Most swimmers don’t make it as an A-qualifying swimmer as it is an extremely arduous target to achieve, and one which only big swimming countries could hit. So 98 percent of the countries will send their highest ranked male and female swimmers through the universality rule,” Gebbie explained.
While his chances to represent Philippines are fairly bright, the Filipino-Kiwi swimmer still wants to qualify for the Olympiad by meeting the elusive Olympic qualifying time.
According to Olympic norms pertaining to swimming, meeting the required Olympic qualifying time is the fastest way to conquer the quadrennial meet. In case a country’s swimmers fail to reach the qualifying time, the International Federation will grant it the authority to choose its top two swimmers to compete at the Olympics.
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“It’s good Philippine swimming is pushing forward with this kind of rule. I will still try and go anywhere that I can. My dream is to get the Olympic qualifying time and I am close to it. I’m training really hard at the moment– nine times a week. I really think I could do it,” Gebbie shared.
Apart from Gebbie, other three swimmers who could make it to the Olympics are Filipina Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi, 2019 Southeast Asian Games Bronze Medalist Remedy Rule and 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist James Deiparine. (AW)
