Kayla Sanchez and PH relay queens shock Singapore, seize SEA Games gold in 4×100 freestyle final

Team Philippines lit up the Aquatics Center in Bangkok on Wednesday night, delivering one of the most electrifying moments of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games as the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay stormed to the country’s second gold medal of the meet.

What made the victory special wasn’t just the result—it was the statement it sent. For years, Singapore’s dominance in relay swimming cast a long shadow over the field. 

But this time, the Filipino quartet of Kayla Sanchez, Xiandi Chua, Chloe Isleta, and Heather White turned the script on its head, powering to a time of 3:44.26 and out-touching the defending champions by a clear 1.27 seconds. 

Vietnam completed the podium at 3:47.47.

The race turned electric in the final stretch when Sanchez—finally making her SEA Games debut after completing her nationality switch from Canada in 2023—took the anchor leg. 

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LANGOY TUNGO SA GINTO

Team Philippines, led by Olympian Kayla Sanchez alongside Heather White, Chloe Isleta, and Xiandi Chua, powered their way to GOLD in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the SEA Games 2025 Thailand!#SEAGames33 #SEAGames2025 #TibayAtTatag pic.twitter.com/lu2r4aoF8Y

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) December 10, 2025

Her burst in the last 50 meters not only secured the win but signaled a symbolic arrival: the Philippines now has a relay built to challenge the region’s best, and a new star capable of steering it.

The night’s momentum didn’t end there. In the men’s 200-meter individual medley, 19-year-old Gian Santos added a silver to the growing medal tally with a composed and mature swim rarely seen from a first-time SEA Games athlete. 

Clocking 2:03.88, the Columbia University standout split two seasoned Vietnamese swimmers—gold medalist Tran Nguyen Hung (2:02.11) and bronze finisher Nguyen Quang Thuan (2:04.19)—to underline the depth of emerging Filipino talent in the pool.

From a breakthrough relay triumph to the rise of a teenage IM specialist, the Philippines’ swimming campaign is quickly building a narrative of renewal—one powered by new faces, fearless performances, and a belief that the best is no longer out of reach.

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