By Ivan Saldajeno
LOS BAÑOS--Xiandi Chua scored the Philippines' first gold medal in the Southeast Asia Age Group Swimming Championships at the Trace Aquatic Center on Friday.
Chua, a Grade 12 student at ICA Greenhills, won the 16-18 girls 200-meter individual medley final at a time of 2:18.6, barely two seconds ahead of silver medalist Azzahra Permatahani of Indonesia (2:20.74).
Chua actually finished her Day 1 chores with two medals, conniving with Janelle Lin, Zoe Hilario, and Athena Chang for the bronze in the girls 4x200-meter freestyle relay in the event won by the quartet from Vietnam, just one of the 19 golds the country got in the opening day of the three-day event.
[Related Story: Vietnam sizzles in SEA Age Group Swimming opener]
Aside from Chua's conquest, the Philippines took home three silvers and six bronzes on Opening Day.
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