MANILA, Philippines – The Tokyo Olympics would be swimmer Remedy Rule’s swan song.
Rule, 24, said the quadrennial meet unfolding Friday will be her last race of her swimming career she plans to attend the University of Miami to pursue a Masters of Professional Science focusing on marine biology.
“I don’t remember my life before swimming. Many of my close friends I met through swimming —something about the sport bonds us unlike any other,” said Rule in a story written by David Rieder at swimmingworldmagazine.com last Tuesday.
“My identity is intertwined with swimming and although I won’t be competing anymore post Tokyo, swimming will always be a part of my life. I am who I am today because of swimming,” she added.
Rule already caught a break as she earned a free pass to the 200-meter butterfly after her event drew only 17 participants including one recipient of a universality place whose personal best is nine seconds slower than the rest including the Crozet, Virginia native whose mother Pam hails from Quezon City.
The former University of Texas standout entered in the 200m free where she would need to her semis spot.
Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) president Lailani Velasco is hoping Rule would reconsider and see action in the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games, which was reset from November this year to early next year.
“We don’t know what the future holds, none of us do,” Velasco told The STAR.
But after swimming for a Division 1 college, the US NCAA, pro swim leagues and the SEA Games, and now the Olympics, Rule is just happy to achieve it all.
“I can’t think of a better way to end my swimming career than at the meet that is a dream for every single swimmer, the Olympics,” she said.