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Anton Della Sets New Record in 200m Individual Medley at Palarong Pambansa After Disqualification
Anton Della Shatters Record in 200m Individual Medley
Anton Della from Ilocos Region redeemed himself at the 2026 Palarong Pambansa swimming competition by setting a new meet record in the secondary boys' 200m individual medley. Della finished the race in 2 minutes and 9.97 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 2:12.14 set by Peter Cyrus Dean of Calabarzon in 2024. Della stated that his disqualification from the 400m individual medley on the previous day served as "fuel to his fire," driving him to perform exceptionally well in today's event. His coaches and family provided strong encouragement, reminding him that it was a minor setback and that many other competitions lay ahead.
Disqualification Controversy in 400m Individual Medley
On Day 1 of the competition, Della was disqualified from the 400m individual medley for an alleged violation of the 90-degree turn rule. He argued that his transition touch was proper, explaining that his hand placement was straight rather than angled. Della presented video evidence from his mother's phone to the officials, but it was not considered. He expressed his disappointment with how the officials handled the situation, feeling that he was treated like a "stupid person." Despite the unfortunate incident, he chose to focus on his subsequent races and channeled his frustration into a record-breaking performance.
*Source: YouTube: Rappler (2026-05-27)*
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