Schooling Breaks Three SEA Games, Singapore Records on Day 2 of Competition

2015 SOUTHEAST ASIA GAMES

  • Saturday, June 6 – Thursday, June 11
  • OCBC Aquatics Centre, Singapore
  • Prelims 9AM / Finals 7 PM (local time)
  • Entry lists
  • Meet results

The storylines from day 2 of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) sound almost exactly like the storylines from the meet’s first day, only this time there was a little sugar on top in the form of Joseph Schooling’s first and second gold medals, both of which came in new SEA Games and Singapore National Records (of which he’ll have three total, including his relay leadoff).

That was part of an overall electric performance by the field, where 5 Meet Records were broken in 6 events, and where Vietnam’s Thi Anh Nguyen added two more event victories to make four total in two days of competition.

Schooling sat out the SEA Games’ first day of competition, but began his meet in the men’s 100 free on Sunday. He touched there in 48.58, which is not only his first time under 50 seconds, but crushed the National Record by well over a second. The old mark of 49.89 was done by Zheng Wen Quah at the Singapore Age Group Championships in March.

Quah took silver at the SEA Games in 49.91, which was almost under his old National Record as well. Vietnam added another medal to their haul when Quy Phuoc Hoang placed 3rd in 50.60.

Both Singapore swimmers broke the Meet Record of 49.99 done in 2013 by Triady Fauzi Sidiq from Indonesia. Sidiq was just 4th on Sunday in 50.67.

Schooling’s second gold medal of the day was not a solo effort, as he led-off Singapore’s 800 free relay in 1:47.79 en route to a 7:18.14 victory. That broke the SEA Games Record by eight seconds, and won by 12 seconds ahead of Malaysia.

Schooling’s leadoff leg broke the Singapore National Record and SEA Games Record (a SEA Games record that was only a day old), and the overall relay tally did the same.

A comparison of the splits on that record-setting 800 free relay shows that it was not Schooling’s addition alone that got them past the national mark done at last year’s Asian Games. Interestingly, Schooling wasn’t on that relay in 2014. A year later, with half of the quartet the same and the other half substituted in for Singapore’s two young stars Schooling and Quah, and suddenly this relay is creeping toward the range of Olympic qualification.

Old Singapore Record Yeo Danny – 1:49.68 Pang Ehgn Jun – 1:51.79 Teo Zhen Ren – 1:52.79 Lim Clement Yongen – 1:51.20
New Singapore Record Joseph Isaac Schooling – 1:47.79 Yeo Danny – 1:50.72 Pang ShengJun – 1:51.33 Quah Zheng Wen – 1:48.57

Singapore’s relay was faster on literally every single leg, and in every case by at least a second. This shows that the impact of Sergio Lopez as the head coach of this team is not just benefiting the country’s biggest star Joseph Schooling (who trains in America), but the entirety of the program.

The only other men’s medals handed out on the night were in the only event where no Games Record was broken. Malaysia’s Fu Kang Wong won in 1:02.46. That swim beat out the defending champion in this event Radomyos Matjiur (1:02.63) from Thailand, who has already won the 200 breaststroke at this meet, while the Philippines’ Josh Hall repeated as bronze medalist in 1:02.87.

On the women’s side, Thi Anh Nguyen dominated another day of competition with two more gold medals. She added wins in the 200 backstroke and 200 IM on Sunday to go with victories in the 800 free and 400 IM on Saturday, and now has broken Games Records in four events over just two days of competition.

While she’s been pushing forward through a tough schedule, it’s clear that Nguyen is not going all-in for personal bests at this meet (perhaps saving those for the World Championships in two months). She’s so far ahead of her competition, however, that it hasn’t seemed to matter yet.

In the 200 backstroke, her first gold on Sunday, Nguyen swam 2:14.12 to break her own 2013 record of 2:14.80 (she’s been 2:12). Indonesia’s Yessy Yosaputra took 2nd more than three seconds slower in 2:17.17, and the Philippines’ Roxanne Yu was 3rd in 2:18.45.

Later in the 200 IM, Nguyen swam 2:13.53 to win by an even bigger five-second margin, and break the Meet Record that had belonged to Malaysia’s Yi Ting Siow (2:14.57) from 2009.

Phiangkhwan from Thailand was 2nd in 2:18.56, and Samantha Yeo was 3rd in 2:18.77.

Nguyen’s record at the meet won’t go down as an umblemished one; she actually had a triple on Sunday, starting her evening with a 4th-place finish in the 50 fly. She still has 8 individual entries remaining, which could mean up to 12 individual medals in a single meet – a feat that would be well-stood in the history books if achieved.

That 50 free title went to a resurgent Tao Li in 26.58, sliding just under her own 2011 Meet Record of 26.59.

Li, who was a finalist in the 100 fly at the 2008 Olympic Games, has struggled to find stability since amidst many coaching changes. She spent some time in the United States training under Lopez before he was announced as the country’s new national team director, and is now back in her native China training, rather than joining Lopez at the National Training Centre.

Singapore took gold and silver in that event; Ting Wen Quah placed 2nd in 27.02, and the Philippines’ Jasmine Alkhaldi, who trains in the United States at the University of Hawaii, was 3rd in 27.47.

Monday’s competition will continue with 7 finals, including Schooling racing his first butterfly event: the 200 fly.

Medals Table Through Day 2

Thanks to the efforts of Schooling and his teammates, Singapore has now matched Vietnam’s 5 gold medals, and holds the tie-breaker for the top of the table with four silvers added to it.

Medal Standings (click on any hyperlinked number to see the swims that made up that count).
Rank Country Total
1 Singapore 5 4 3 12
2 Vietnam 5 0 2 7
3 Thailand 1 5 1 7
4 Malaysia 1 1 1 3
5 Indonesia 0 2 2 4
6 Philippines 0 0 3 3

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FamousAmos
7 years ago

SINGAPORE SWIM ACE

Interesting.

We shall see what USADA & WADA have to say about this incredible triple, particularly after that Phelps-beaten-to-pulps butterfly event last year…

Nothing, mostly. Just like what they don’t say about the world’s greatest cheat of all time that came upon us like a bolt out of nowhere.

Sad, ain’t it? Blatant cheating right before our very eyes and not a thing done about them and the perpetrators…

wave rider
9 years ago

Last year at the Commonwealth Games Schooling went 50.05 in a free relay lead off and went 51.69 in the 100 fly. I think that he will go under 51 in the 100 fly this week.

Billabong
Reply to  wave rider
9 years ago

If you are right and he does, then the rest of the top flyers have a lot of catching up to do. Whilst most of them have not shaved and tapered this year, a sub 51 swim from a teenager will shake them up! Still looks like 50.5 will win worlds.

bobo gigi
9 years ago

I don’t know when but I’m sure that Conger has a sub 48 in him.
He has everything in my opinion to be a great 100 fly/100 free swimmer.
But he should give up backstroke.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  bobo gigi
9 years ago

Conger will probably rise up pretty soon . He is too talented . His 100 free should be very interesting to see soon somewhere .

E GAMBLE
9 years ago

Can anyone explain why the live feed from Singapore is like watching a beautiful HD movie and it never crashes? But, here in the US the picture is grainy and you are just praying that it won’t crash before the finish line. We have to do better in the US.

rjcid
9 years ago

Having met and talked to schooling at ncaas, this i know. He has a killers instinct in the pool. A freshman that took both fly events in tecord fashion, and he was mad at his times not being fast as he thought! This kids special, he still has a teen body, wait till he gets 1 more year of weight training…. we may see a new threat to medals in 2016!

He is def one to watch.

completelyconquered
Reply to  rjcid
9 years ago

Cid with the spot on analysis.

E GAMBLE
9 years ago

Reece Whitley would have won gold in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke at SEA Games at the age of 15. Wow!

bobthebuilderrocks
9 years ago

THIS IS INSANE.

51.4- 100 Fly, 1:55.2- 200 Fly, 1:58-200 IM if he swims these events. I don’t even care if these are too ambitious, we’re talking about Joe Schooling.

HOOK ‘EM HORNS!

ice
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
9 years ago

Yes, he’s swimming all these three, plus the 50 Free, and of course the two other relays. Even the 50 Free which I thought was impossible for him to win, suddenly looks do-able

Hank
9 years ago

My first reaction to Schoolings 100free time was maybe this was SCM and not LCM. If he can drop another sec per 100 in the 100/200free he will be in medal contention at worlds and olympics

pvdh
Reply to  Hank
9 years ago

there have been MANY 48 mids who never went under 48. Dropping from 48.5 to under 48.0 is the hardest drop in swimming

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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