Hadley splashes to personal best and new FSM record

Video taken by Keitani Graham

London (August 2, 2012): Kerson Hadley of Pohnpei outraced other six swimmers in his heat of the 50 meters freestyle this morning at the Aquatics Center, London shattering his previous personal best by nearly a second and setting a national record for the FSM.

In spite of coming in first place in his heat with a time of 24.82 seconds, according to regulations of the international governing body for swimming (FINA), only the fastest sixteen times advance to the semi finals.

“I am very excited that I made a new personal best”, Hadley said an hour after his race back at the Olympic Village.

Hadley’s time was 3.05 seconds slower than the fastest time set by Bovell Georg Richard of the Trinidad in the sixth heat and about 2.55 seconds shy of clinching the 16^th overall standing to advance to the semi’s.

The whole FSM Team was at the Aquatics Center this morning to lend support to Hadley and very thrilled to witness his first-place achievement .

Haley said his long time away from home training in Guam and later in Manchester did a lot of good for him.

“Training away from home is good because it makes me focus and more ready for competition”, Hadley said in retrospect.

More actions from Team FSM will follow tomorrow with Debra Daniel taking on the women’s 50 meter freestyle at 10:00 in the morning and Mihter Wendolin facing other sprinters in the women’s athletics event about an hour later.