Story by Nicole Lum, Rachel Yip, Rebecca Yip and Nicholina Chua/Red Sports. Photos by Lee Jian Wei/Red Sports
(L-R) Quah Zheng Wen, Pang Sheng Jun, Danny Yeo and Joseph Schooling pose for a photo after clinching gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle. They set new Games and national records with a time of 7 minutes and 18.14 seconds. (Photo © Lee Jian Wei/Red Sports)
OCBC Aquatic Centre, Sunday, June 7, 2015 — Team Singapore shot to the top of the medal standings after strong performances by both the men and women on the second day of the swimming competition at the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The team picked up three gold, two silver and one bronze.
Joseph Schooling opened his campaign with a scintillating swim in the men’s 100m freestyle. His timing of 48.58 seconds, which is a new Games record, is the joint-15th fastest time in the world this year.
He led from start to finish and beat compatriot Quah Zheng Wen by over a body length, a feat almost unheard of in 100m freestyle races. Zheng Wen came in second with a time of 49.91s.
Talking about his stellar timing, Joseph, who went under the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying mark in both freestyle races said, “I know it’s good, considering I don’t practise much freestyle. I just kind of winged it and see where I can go… so for an event that I don’t gun for, I think it is a good sign for my butterfly events and those events that I care more about coming up.” He added later that he was confident of what he could achieve for his other seven events over the next four days of competition.
Earlier today, Joseph had signalled his intentions at these Games by lowering his own personal best (PB) to 50.03s in the heats, even as he eased off toward the end of the race. In addition, his 50m split of 23.03s in the final would have won him the gold in the men’s 50m freestyle at the 2013 edition of the SEA Games.
Later on, Joseph, along with Danny Yeo, Pang Sheng Jun and Zheng Wen, raced to victory in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay with a time of 7:18.14. They smashed their own 2013 Games record by more than eight seconds, and their 2014 national record set at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, Korea by seven seconds.
Joseph gave the men a dream start as he quickly raced to a five-body length lead in a new national record time of 1:47.79. Second swimmer Danny Yeo kept up the lead, as did third swimmer Pang Sheng Jun. Anchor swimmer Zheng Wen then brought the team home with a 1:48.57 split to finish almost 12 seconds ahead of second-placed Malaysia.
Speaking after his relay team’s record-breaking win, Zheng Wen said, “I think the relay went really well. I split way faster than I did in the individual (200m freestyle) yesterday, so I am pretty happy with that. I’m also glad that our relays are getting much faster and we actually have a chance to send a team to the Olympics next year. That prospect is really exciting.”
Danny Yeo, who is recovering from a bout of tonsillitis, was also happy with the result of his second event. He gave credit to the support of his team and the cheers of the Singapore supporters to that helped them pull through for the win. “It was good to have a team to support me and we can pull through together… definitely the home crowd was good with everyone cheering for us.”
In the first event of the evening, the women’s 50m butterfly, Tao Li stormed to victory in a new Games record of 26.58s. Quah Ting Wen bettered her PB with a time of 27.02s to make it a one-two finish for Team Singapore.
“I felt good today, breaking the Games record. I did not expect that I could swim under 26.7. When I touched the wall, I saw that I broke it by 0.1s, so I’m pretty happy with that,” said Tao Li of her golden performance.
Tao Li will compete in the 50m backstroke tomorrow, where she will meet Vietnamese powerhouse Nguyen Thi Anh Vien in the pool again. Of her competitor, Tao Li commented: “(Nguyen’s) main event is backstroke. I will try hard (for the 100m backstroke) because for the last couple of years I won the event so I am going to defend it. Leading up to the SEA Games, I have been training for the backstroke. I didn’t train much for butterfly, so the 100m backstroke is one of my main concerns.”
Said Ting Wen of her 50m butterfly swim: “I’m very happy. Two down, seven to go. I’m taking it one day and one event at a time. I’m quite happy with my performance today.”
On her motivation to go from fifth in qualifying to winning a silver, Ting Wen said, “I just wanted to see the Singapore flag rising and hearing the national anthem. It is one thing to have a Singaporean win but just to have us (Tao Li and herself) go 1-2, and after that having Joseph and Zheng Wen come after us (with another 1-2 finish) was incredible.”
US-based swimmer Samantha Louisa Yeo picked up a bronze in the women’s 200m individual medley (IM) behind Nguyen, who set a new Games record of 2:13.53. Samantha clocked a PB of 2:18.77. Meagan Lim, the other local swimmer, finished sixth with a time of 2:22.66.
“I’m pretty happy with the race. It was a personal best and I haven’t done a personal best since 2013. That was also the last time I went under 2:20 minutes,” said Samantha, expressing her joy over her splendid performance. “But when you’re talking relatively with the other competitors, it was a strong race. Shock came when I won the bronze medal.”
“I am a little pissed because I’m still thinking about things that I could’ve done. I’m also a little disappointed with my finish but I’m really satisfied with my swim in general. I put in my best effort, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” explained 18-year-old Samantha.
The friendly rivalry between breaststrokers Lionel Khoo and Christopher Cheong continued in the men’s 100m event. However, both men failed to medal as they clocked timings of 1:03.40 and 1:04.44 to finish fourth and seventh respectively. That race was won by Malaysian Wong Fu Kang in a time of 1:02.46.
After finishing in the heats with the fastest qualifying time of 1:02.87, Lionel looked set to win in the final. On his unfulfilling result, he said: “I think, mainly, I rushed my stroke too much in the first 50m and I couldn’t come back as strong as I wanted to.”
“It wasn’t very good. It was a bit disappointing but I have to pick myself up and focus on my 50m (breaststroke) and the relay,” Lionel concluded.
Debutants Hannah Quek and Chantal Liew finished fifth and eighth in the women’s 200m backstroke with timings of 2:21.14 and 2:23.96 respectively. That race was also won by Vietnamese superstar Nguyen, who set a new Games record of 2:14.12.
“It was a little bit disappointing because it’s not my best time. But at the same time, because it’s my first SEA Games, it’s more for the experience,” commented Hannah on her maiden appearance. “I think it’s really fun. There was a lot of support from the crowd. It’s an honour to represent Singapore at such a big event.”
“My target for the Games is to get new PBs. It would also be very nice if I can get a medal. I just want to swim well for my parents, coach and friends, who have been supporting me throughout,” said the 14-year-old schoolgirl.
Day 3 will see Joseph Schooling and Clement Lim aim to go one better than recently retired compatriot Russell Ong in the men’s 50m freestyle, and dethrone defending champion Triady Fauzi Sidiq. If Joseph’s form in the freestyle is anything to go by, we may see him break the longest-standing national record – Ang Peng Siong’s 22.69s, which was set in 1982.
Later on, Joseph and Quah Zheng Wen will go head to head for the second time in the men’s 200m butterfly, while Amanda Lim and Quah Ting Wen will face off against Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Anh Vien and Filipina Jasmine Alkhaldi in the women’s 100m freestyle.
Other Singaporeans swimming tomorrow are: Shana Lim and Tao Li (women’s 50m backstroke), Quah Zheng Wen and SEA Games debutant Malcolm Low (men’s 200m backstroke), Roanne Ho and Samantha Louisa Yeo (women’s 100m breaststroke) and the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
Day 2 results (Finals only)
Women’s 50m butterfly: Tao Li 26.58 (Gold, Games record), Quah Ting Wen 27.02 (Silver, PB)
Men’s 100m freestyle: Joseph Schooling 48.58 (Gold, Games and National Open Record, PB), Quah Zheng Wen 49.91 (Silver)
Women’s 200m backstroke: Hannah Quek 2:21.14 (5th), Chantal Liew 2:23.96 (8th)
Men’s 100m breaststroke: Lionel Khoo 1:03.40 (4th), Christopher Cheong 1:04.44 (5th)
Women’s 200m IM: Samantha Louisa Yeo 2:18.77 (Bronze, PB), Meagan Lim 2:22.66 (6th)
Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay: Joseph Schooling, Danny Yeo, Pang Sheng Jun, Quah Zheng Wen 7:18.14 (Gold, Games and National Open Record)
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