Rexel Ryan Fabriga
Rexel Ryan Fabriga is a diver who hails from Zamboanga, Philippines born on October 2.1985.
Coached by Chinese diving guru, Zhang Dehu, Ryan first made his mark in the international diving scene when he was a surprise finalist and finished 5th in the Men's 10m platform event of the FINA Diving Grand Prix event held in Texas, USA. This event had Olympic finalists and World medalists in the start order.
He went on a roll and won 2 gold medals in the 2003 South East Asian Games held in Vietnam which made him the first Filipino diver to bring home gold medals in a major international event. In the 2005 Manila SEA Games, he won the gold in synchronized 10m platform together with Kevin Kong and a silver in 10m individual platform. He again defended the 10m meter synchronized platform gold for the 3rd time with Jaime Asok in 2007 SEA Games held in Thailand while settling for another silver for the Philippines 10m individual platform event.
Ryan qualified for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games and ranked 28th in the Men's Individual 10meter platform event. .[1]
In 2009, he competed in the South East Asian Games held in Laos and taking home a silver medal in the synchronized platform and a bronze medal in the synchronized platform event. Ryan was primed to compete in the 2009 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China but had to withdraw due to an injury sustained during a vehicular accident on their way to the Aquatics Center.[2] After assessing his injuries and his preparations for a run at qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics, he soon semi-announced his retirement from active competition.
To date, he along with diver, Shiela Mae Perez, are the most accomplished divers the Philippines has produced.