By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

The three Palauan swimmers at the FINA World Championships arrived last night from Melbourne, Australia bringing home personal best times in all events they competed.
The swimmers, who were welcomed by their families and friends back home as they arrived at around 8 p.m. via Continental Flight from Guam, are Isao Misech, Maria Gibbons and Sikosang Yobech.
Japanese coach Tina Shima and Annabel Lyman accompanied them during their remarkable performances.
Shima said the locals have shown tremendous improvement during the event, where too many world records were reset.
"They have a very good experience in Melbourne and this will definitely boost the future of swimming in Palau and the Palau Swimming Association," Shima said.
Shima, Misech and Gibbons expressed similar optimism for Palau’s chances for the upcoming 2007 Apia, Samoa Pacific Games scheduled from August 24 to Sept. 8.
The three swimmers also expressed willingness to plunge into action immediately following their remarkable performances just to prepare for the Pacific Games.
Misech set his personal best in the 50m freestyle with a time of 28.25 seconds as well as two minutes and 28 seconds in the 200m freestyle, which he considered as his best race in a competition because it was a long course.
It was his second time to compete in the World Championships and his times are getting better as compared to his performance in Shanghai previously.
"We need to train more," Misech said after finishing second in the heat for the 50m freestyle, 4th in the 100m and 4th in the 200m. He also competed in the 50m breastroke.
Their official records will be released sometime this week to give a few days rest after their two-week stint at the championships.
Gibbons said that it was her first time competing in the world championships and one the lessons she learned was to practice harder.
She set a personal best time of slightly over 31 seconds in her favorite event, the 50m freestyle, where she finished first in her heat.
Gibbons also did a good job in the 100m and 200m freestyle.
Yobech also competed in the 100m, 200m freestyle and the 50m and 100m backstroke.