By Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports

5th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships

Darren Chua of Singapore in action during the men’s 4x100m freestyle heats. Chua, along with Darren Lim, Dylan Koo and Francis Fong, set a new national under-17 record in the event with a timing of 3 minutes and 28.56 seconds. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

OCBC Aquatic Centre, Tuesday, August 25, 2015 — Pitted against mightier opponents on the world stage, Singapore’s junior swimmers delivered a laudable performance on the opening day of the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, with the quartet of Darren Lim, Darren Chua, Dylan Koo and Francis Fong leading the way with a new national under-17 record in the men’s 4×100 metres freestyle event.

The four boys’ timing of 3 minutes and 28.56 seconds helped the Republic finish 13th out of 26 teams.

Chua also competed in the men’s 400 metres freestyle event, where he clocked a timing of 4 minutes and 8.94 seconds to finish 43rd in a 64-strong field.

Also competing in a 64-strong field, Fong recorded a 34th-placed finish in the men’s 100m backstroke event in 58.17 seconds, while compatriot Malcolm Low clocked 58.65 seconds to follow four places behind.

In the men’s 100 metres breaststroke event, Brilliant Chua clocked a timing of 1 minute and 5.54 seconds to finish 32nd out of 66 competitors.

The women’s 400 metres individual medley featured Quah Jing Wen and Tan Jing-E, who clocked timings of 5 minutes and 5.48 seconds and 5 minutes and 5.95 seconds to finish 29th and 31st respectively. The event had a total of 41 competitors.

Tan also competed in the women’s 100 metres backstroke event, where she finished 32nd out of 58 competitors in 1 minute and 5.63 seconds. Hannah Quek, who also participated, clocked a personal best time of 1 minute and 5.29 seconds and finished four positions ahead of Tan.

In the women’s 50 metres breaststroke event, Christie Chue and Kathlyn Laiu finished 23rd and 25th out of 45 competitors with timings of 33.65 seconds and 33.82 seconds respectively.

Chue and Quah, alongside Chloe Wang and Rachel Tseng, capped off the Republic’s performance on day one with a timing of 8 minutes and 22.72 seconds to finish 11th out of 17 teams in the women’s 4×200 metres freestyle event.

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