Filipino-American swimmer Jarod Hatch’s first order of business is crystal clear: make the top 16.
It’s almost go-time for Jarod Hatch.
After Kayla Sanchez, Hatch makes his Olympic Games Paris 2024 debut as he eyes for a semifinal slot in the men’s 100-meter butterfly event at the Paris La Defense Arena today at 5:00 p.m. (PH Time).
The 25-year-old from University of California, Berkeley seeks an impressive first impression in his Olympics, getting drawn in Heat 2 alongside Cameron Gray of New Zealand, Matthew Rates and Chad le Clos of South Africa, Kaii Winkler of Germany, Mario Molla Yanes of Spain, Jiajun Sun of China, and Adilbek Mussin of Kazakhstan.
Reigning Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel of the United States, and recent Asian Games top three finishers in Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan, Wang Changhao of China, and Adilbek Mussin of Kazakhstan are also in action.
Hatch aims to duplicate compatriot Kayla Sanchez's performance after she reached the semifinals and placed 15th in the women’s 100m freestyle.
[ALSO READ: Kayla Sanchez ends Paris 2024 run in semifinals of 100m freestyle]
Hatch, who owns the Philippine records in the 50-meter (23.89) and 100-meter (52.87) butterfly events, can be the first Filipino swimmer to reach the Olympics semifinal if he manages to do so since Roosevelt Abdulgafur, who reached the same round of the men’s 100-meter freestyle in the Mexico 1968 Summer Olympics.
He collected three medals in the 2023 Southeast Asia Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, including a silver in the mixed 4×100 medley relay and bronzes in the men’s 50m and 100 butterfly.