Filipina swimmer Kayla Sanchez had a couple of heartbreaks in the 2026 Asian Games, twice narrowly missing the podium despite performances that reset national records.
She tied for fifth in the women's 50-m backstroke after clocking 28.19 seconds — a new Philippine standard. Sanchez would then agonizingly miss the podium in the women's 100-m freestyle, with her time of 53.65-s just a shade slower than China's Cheng Yujie, who took bronze at 53.47-s.
Her final chance at a medal ended in disappointment anew: Sanchez clocked 24.75-s in the women's 50-m freestyle, setting a new national record but falling just short of third place as Cheng again eclipsed her at 24.46-s.
READ: Sanchez falls short in bid to end PH's 28-year swimming medal drought
"I guess I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to bring the Philippines a medal, and I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to do that," Sanchez told POC Media after Thursday's race at the Tokyo Aquatics Center.
"But I think the greater lesson here is to not be afraid to try. Focus, stay focused, and I'm improving. I've gotten faster since my nationality switch, and I'm swimming," she added. "This is my second-fastest 50 free since Tokyo in 2021, and I'm not done."
The 25-year-old Sanchez had switched nationalities in 2022, with World Aquatics approving the change a year later. She made her debut for the Philippines in the Hangzhou Asian Games, and two years later starred in the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok where she won three gold medals and five silvers.
There were high hopes for Sanchez in the Asiad, even against some of the world's best including Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey. But the medal proved elusive, and the Philippines' drought in swimming continued.
The last Filipino who stood in the podium was Raymond Papa who won bronze medals in the men's 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sanchez said afterward that she allowed herself "to be sad and to be angry," but the focus now shifts to regrouping and preparing for her next competition.
"At a swim meet... you don't have much time," she noted. "I am motivated to have better results and get better and get faster, and that is what drives me.
"I love swimming. I love representing the Philippines, and I just want to do more."