Philippine Sports News and Updates

Henry Dagmil is the current Southeast Asian Games long jump champion, who broke the meet record twice.

He leapt to a new SEA Games and Philippine mark of 7.87 meters in the men’s long jump in last year’s SEAG at His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary Nakhon Ratchasima Stadium.

Dagmil trained for nearly two years in California after winning the same event two years ago in Manila. He leapt to 7.34 meters on his second try, passed on the third, fouled on his next attempt before leaping to a new mark that erased the RP record of 7.82 meters he himself set on June 1, 2004. His leap was a one-hundredths of a meter better than the SEAG record of 7.81 meters he set two years ago.

The 18-year-old Filipina-American Olympian has already seen many national and international swimming competitions in her career.

For the past years, Christel was a five-time medalist in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Junior National Championship in the US. She was also an eight-time medalist in the 2005 and 2008 Speedo Sectional Championship, respectively.

In the international arena, Christel was a bronze medalist in the 200 free relay of the 2007 Junior Pan Pacific competition.

She also competed in the 2003 and 2005 Annual Oceania Championship against athletes from New Zealand, Australia, and other pacific islands.

Christel said that qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China is the most memorable event in her swimming career.

Gearing for the Beijing Olympic this August, she trains everyday under Coach Sherwood (USA) to improve her stamina and swimming techniques. She said she practices more on sprinting six times a week, weight lift eight times a week, and have dryland exercise everyday.

She said she love the sport because “swimming is a competitive sport that can take you on many different levels including the Olympics. It helps you become self-motivated and competitive.”