Jarod Hatch could not contain his emotions in talking about his performance in the men’s 100-meter butterfly.
Today wasn’t Jarod's day, to put it simply.
But the emotional Jarod Hatch held his head high in his first taste of Olympic action donning the red, white, blue, and yellow colors of the Philippine flag.
“I’m happy to represent the Philippines. I gave[it] my all, it just wasn't there today,” the 25-year-old spoke in the aftermath of his men’s 100-meter butterfly in Paris 2024.
Hatch finished dead last at no.8 in Heat 2 of the qualifiers with 54.66 seconds and a joint-36th overall in the 40-man race. The Filipino-American swimmer is tied with Jamaica's Josh Kirlew in the rankings as he logged the same time.
This is a far cry of a top 16 finish needed to barge into the semifinals.
[ALSO READ: Jarod Hatch ends Paris 2024 campaign with early exit in 100-meter butterfly event]
The USC Berkely standout admitted he was struggling in his swimming career this year, coincidentally amid the ongoing Paris 2024.
“It’s definitely the toughest season I've had. Everybody goes through adversity and this year mine,” he bared.
Not divulging into specifics, Hatch instead savored the moment of being an Olympian and the experience it brought.
“I always talk about the positives. It's not the time I wanted but the relationships I made, the people I’ve met. This is the happiest I’ve been.”
On possibly giving another shot in Los Angeles 2028, the University of California, Berkeley is not pondering the idea– for now.
“It’s one day at a time. I'm gonna process this.”
With Hatch’s exit, only 12 Filipinos are still in the running for Olympic medals in Paris 2024.
Watch the full interview here:
[With reports from Boom Gonzales]