‘When he told me that he was going to Singapore for worlds, I was really excited,” said Weiler Sastre, 20, who is Spain’s national record holder in the 100m backstroke.
“We also went to the same place for a training camp in Malaysia in Kuching, so that was really cool to share that experience with him.”
“I WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING”
Both swimmers, who competed at the Singapore National Age Group Championships in the past, said the country has played a role in their growth as athletes.
Weiler Sastre, who now studies at Virginia Tech university, credited her former Nexus coach Ivan Bunakov with helping to shape the “trajectory” of her swimming.
“He taught me a lot about discipline … and I really do think that helped me work hard in the US.”
In the United States, Weiler Sastre now trains under Sergio Lopez, the former coach of Singapore’s only Olympic champion Joseph Schooling.
“He’s almost like a father figure to me. We’re really close and he’s helped me with a lot in the three years that I’ve been with him,” said Weiler Sastre. “I think that he is one of the best coaches that there is.”
