Six-year-old Filipino swimmer Elyannah “Ellie” Marinelli topped her age division and broke two breaststroke records at the 3rd Asian Open Schools Invitational Short Course Swimming Championships in Bangkok, establishing herself as the highest-ranked six-and-under girl in the international meet.
Official results from the Thailand Aquatic Sports Association show Marinelli accumulating 274 points for Maharlika Aquatics—78 points ahead of the division’s second-place finisher—after winning five events and placing second in another.
Marinelli won the 25-meter and 50-meter freestyle, the 25-meter backstroke, and the 25-meter and 50-meter breaststroke. She placed second in the 25-meter butterfly, giving her five gold medals and one silver according to the official meet results.
Marinelli’s strongest performances came in breaststroke. She completed the 25-meter event in 26.05 seconds, surpassing the previous meet record of 27.54 seconds set in 2024. She then finished the 50-meter breaststroke in 57.23 seconds, breaking the 59.14-second mark established in 2025.
Her first-place divisional ranking and record-setting performance earned her the Most Outstanding Swimmer award for the girls’ six-and-under category.
The two-day meet was held Aug. 29 and 30 at the 25-meter Assumption University Aquatics Center at the university’s Suvarnabhumi campus in Thailand. Marinelli competed overseas while balancing her Grade 1 studies with regular training, competitions, rest and family time.
“I felt very happy, excited, and thankful,” Marinelli said.
“I was proud to represent the Philippines and especially happy to see that all my hard work and training paid off.”
She acknowledged that training does not always go according to plan, particularly on days when exhaustion sets in. She credited her family, coaches, and faith with helping her continue through the demands of preparing for competition at such a young age.
Her Bangkok campaign ended with six individual medals, two new meet records, and the highest point total in her division. Marinelli said she now intends to continue training, learning, and pursuing ambitions that already extend far beyond her age.
