The provincial government of Negros Occidental congratulated Negrense Gian Christopher Santos for earning the Philippines’ first silver medal in the men’s 200m individual medley at the recently-concluded 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Gian traces his roots to Bacolod City, Escalante City, and La Carlota City. He is a class valedictorian of Tesoro High School, Las Flores, Orange County, CA (Class of 2024) and a top recruit for the Men’s Swimming Team of Columbia University, an Ivy League University in New York, where he is taking up Political Science (pre-law).
He is a Dean’s Lister and a dedicated student-athlete, the Capitol said in a press release Jan. 7.
A member of the Philippine Swimming Team since 2022, Gian has represented the country in various international competitions, including the Southeast Asian Age Group Championships in Kuala Lumpur (2022), where he won silver and bronze medals.
He also competed in the World Junior Championships in Peru (2022) and Israel (2023), the World Championships in Singapore (July 2025), and the World Cup Series in Illinois, USA (October 2025), where he became a Philippine record holder.
He capped off the year with another silver medal at the SEA Games.
Gian now sets his sights on the Asian Games in Japan this September and is currently in intensive training, the press release added. ||
