DAVAO City tanker Matthieu Adrien Tao clinched three gold medals and one silver at the close of the 2017 Philswim Short Course National Championships at Trace Aquatics Center in Los Baños, Laguna over the weekend.
He topped the boys 11-13 400-meter individual medley (IM), 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle events but settled for silver in 100m backstroke.
Coastland Davao Swim Team's Tao, who trains under coach Haroon Cali of Holiday Gym and Spa, clocked four minutes and 34.19 seconds to race past Joshua Gabriel Ang of Golden Sea Eagles (4:36.25) and Andre Luis Geronimo of Tanauan City Swim Club (4:39.64) in the boys 400m freestyle.
The 13-year-old Tao also showed his fiery form, checking in at 2:07.38 in boys 11-13 200m freestyle event. He bested Jaren Rylie Tan of Green Archers Swim Club (2:08.03) and Ang (2:09.08) of Golden Sea Eagles who bagged the silver and bronze, respectively.
In boys 11-13 400m IM, Stella Maris Academy of Davao Grade 7 student Tao timed 5:06.95 for the top finish while Ang (5:06.96) came in close second and Jacob Balanag of Ayala Harpoon Swim Club (5:11.90) was at distant third.
Blue Cabilete of Blue Sharks Swimming Club, meanwhile, registered 1:05.02 to annex the boys 11-13 100m backstroke gold as Tao pocketed the silver with 1:07.29. The bronze went to Mark Bryan Rioflorido of Balon Dagupan Swim Club (1:12.25).
Cali praised Tao's recent feats in Laguna, saying, "Nagbaba iyang time pero kulang pa iyang practice for the secondary level. Makaya man nuon niya (He improved his time but he still needs to train more although I believe he can do it)."
The veteran coach, also an Ironman 70.3 finisher, added that Tao performed better in Laguna than in the 2017 Davao City Athletic Association (Dcaa) Meet where he only qualified in the 200m freestyle in the Davraa Meet set in February here.
"Last Palaro 2:10 iya time karon kay 2:07 so naa pa almost three months para mag train for Davraa (He clocked 2:10 last Palaro and now 2:07 so he still has three months to train before the Davraa Meet)," Cali said.
