PH swimmer Jarod Hatch misses semifinal cutoff, ends Olympic bid

MANILA, Philippines – It proved to be a brief Paris Games stint for Jarod Hatch.

The Filipino-American swimmer exited the Olympics after finishing tied for 36th in the heats of the men’s 100-meter butterfly at the Paris La Defense Arena on Friday, August 2.

Hatch clocked 54.66 seconds as he failed to reach the semifinals, with only the 16 fastest out of 40 competitors advancing.

Tokyo Games silver medalist Kristof Milak of Hungary topped the heats with 50.19 seconds, while reigning Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel of the United States placed sixth with 50.83 seconds.

Born to a Filipina mother and raised in the United States, Hatch – who made his Olympic debut – has been representing the Philippines since 2018.

The 25-year-old Hatch won two silvers and two bronzes for the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games.

Hatch and Filipina-Canadian Kayla Sanchez earned their Olympic berths through the universality rule – spots given to underrepresented countries in the Games.

Sanchez reached the semifinals of the women’s 100m freestyle after a record-breaking performance in the heats before she bowed out.

With Hatch getting the boot, only 12 of the 22-strong Team Philippines remain in contention for medals. – Rappler.com