Story by Daniel Yeo/Red Sports. Photos by Lee Yu En/Red Sports.

Pang Sheng Jun representing AquaTech Swimming inched ahead of his competitors to clinch gold in the men's 200m individual medley event. (Photo 5 © Lee Yu En/Red Sports)

Pang Sheng Jun representing AquaTech Swimming inched ahead of his competitors to clinch gold in the men’s 200m individual medley event. (Photo 5 © Lee Yu En/Red Sports)

OCBC Aquatic Centre, Friday, June 22, 2018 — The penultimate day of the 14th Singapore National Swimming Championships saw Pang Sheng Jun defend his 200m IM title as more meet records continue to fall, especially by the meet’s foreign contingent.

There would be little success on the local front in the action taking place on the third day, with even Joseph Schooling falling to third in the Men’s 100m Freestyle. However, Pang Sheng Jun’s success in the Men’s 200m IM was a bright spot for the home crowd.

Having previously set the meet record last year, with a timing of 2:03.27, Sheng Jun almost recreated that success with a 2:03.31 first-place finish.

Despite taking the gold, Sheng Jun wanted more from his race on the day, as he said after the race: “For me, honestly, I expected better…For now, I have to go back, analyse my races and see.”

Although he expected more from the race, Sheng Jun also expressed his confidence in the team surrounding him and his support system as the Asian Games 2018 draw near: “I always believe in trusting my coaches, they always have a plan for us, just trust the process and enjoy every moment…it’s about working on the little things, and when we sharpen up and taper, I’m sure everything will get better when it comes to Asian Games.”

In the other races, India’s Shishukunj Swimming Academy’s Advait Page set a new meet record stopping the clock at 15 minute and 25.98 seconds — more than 40 seconds faster than the meet record set before him at 16:02.86.

Having swum a 16:06.43 in the heats, a delighted Advait told Red Sports: “I’m feeling really happy with the time, because it’s a huge improvement for me, and I’ve wanted to do a good time in 1500 for a long time, so I’m really happy about this time.”

Another member of the foreign contingent, 18-year old Australian Sophie Caldwell, went on to break yet another meet record in the Women’s 200m IM. With a timing of 2:17.69, she would go on to claim her fourth gold medal of the Championships so far.

It would prove to be a good day for the Aussies, with fellow Swimming Victoria teammate Samuel Williamson breaking the meet record in the Men’s 200m Breaststroke with a timing of 2:14.84.

In the Women’s 200m Breaststroke, the meet record was also broken by Hwaseong City Swimming Team’s Kim Seulbee. The Korean swam a 2:31.45 and overcame the five-year-old record of 2:32.34.

Results
Men’s 100m Freestyle
1. Virdhawal Vikram Khade – 50.26
2. William Yang – 50.37
3. Joseph Isaac Schooling – 50.49

Women’s 100m Freestyle
1. Cheryln Yeoh – 56.61
2. Natthanan Junkrajang – 56.78
3. Amanda Lim – 56.95

Men’s 200m IM
1. Pang Sheng Jun – 2:03.31
2. Jo Hyungsub – 2:04.06
3. Darren Chua – 2:04.76

Women’s 200m IM
1. Sophie Caldwell – 2:17.69, new MR
2. Ressa Kania Dewi – 2:18.05
3. Chloe Kennedy Anne Isleta – 2:21.14

Men’s 100m Backstroke
1. William Yang – 55.58
2. Francis Fong Jia Yi – 56.22
3. Arvind Mani – 56.38

Women’s 100m Backstroke
1. Nurul Fajar Fitriyati – 1:03.48
2. Gim Eojin – 1:03.65
3. Chloe Kennedy Anne Isleta – 1:03.86

Men’s 200m Butterfly
1. Bowen Gough – 1:59.72
2. Ong Jung Yi – 1:59.76
3. Matthew Temple – 2:01.59

Women’s 200m Butterfly
1. Adinda Larasati Dewi – 2:14.60
2. Azzahra Permatahani – 2:18.04
3. Kanitta Nimdam – 2:19.09

Men’s 200m Breaststroke
1. Samuel Williamson – 2:14.84, new MR
2. Maximillian Ang Wei – 2:17.19
3. Lionel Khoo – 2:17.20

Women’s 200m Breaststroke
1. Kim Seulbee – 2:31.45, new MR
2. Treciel Vanassae Evato Anandia – 2:34.07
3. Zoe Deacon – 2:34.29

Men’s 1500m Freestyle
1. Advait Page – 15:25.98, new MR
2. Aflah Fadlan Prawira – 15:35.98
3. Glen Lim Jun Wei – 15:56.75

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