Gan Wraps Distance Sweep on Day 5; Singapore Stays Atop SEA Games Medal Table

2021 (2022) SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES

Tonight’s finals session saw Singaporean Gan Ching Hwee complete an impressive sweep of freestyle events culminating in her victory in the women’s 1500m distance.

Stopping the clock in a time of 16:36.73,  the 18-year-old captured her 4th individual gold medal, adding this event to her previous wins this week in the 200m free, 400m free, and 800 free. Her results this week are a carryover from a successful freshman season at Indiana University in the United States, where she placed 3rd in the Big Ten in the 1650 yard freestyle after making her debut for the team in January. She raced at the NCAA Championships, earning Honorable Mention All-America honors in the same event, and shortly thereafter rolled into a best time in long course in the 400 IM at the Pro Swim Series meet in San Antonio.

In other races Thailand’s Jenjira Srisaard earned her 5th medal of the meet in the women’s 50 free. She won the 50 fly individually earlier this week and was also the silver medalist in the 100 free, 50 breast, and 400 free relay. Jenjira took top honors in the 50 free in a mark of 25.12 while her teammate, Kamonchanok Kwanmuang got it done for gold in the 400m IM in 4:49.98.

Jenjira’s 50 free swim is a new Thai Record, breaking her own mark by two-tenths of a second.

With one day of competition remaining, Thailand has 4 gold and 20 total medals. That already surpasses their total of 2 gold and 18 total medals from 2017.

Singapore ended the night in the women’s 400 medley relay, with the combination of Bonnie Yeo, Letitia Sim, Quah Jing Wen and Quah Ting Wen collectively clocking a winning effort of 4:07.62.

The men’s events were highlighted by Vietnam’s Pham Thanh Bao doubling up on his 100m breast win with a victory in the 50m breast. The Vietnamese ace earned a time of 28.28 to beat the field and add another gold to his nation’s column, plus a new National Record.

Additional Winners:

  • Malaysia’s Hoe Yea Khiew took the men’s 200m free in a mark of 1:47.81. That puts him half-a-second short of the Malaysian National Record that was set in 2017. That marks a second-straight win in the event for Malaysia, following up on Welson Sim’s victory in 2017.
  • The men’s 200m IM saw Trần Hưng Nguyên complete a sweep of the men’s IM events, with the Vietnamese swimmer stopping the clock in a time of 2:01.22 to win the 200m IM this evening. That swim is a new Vietnamese Record. Vietnam has 9 gold medals and 21 total medals with a day of racing remaining – 1 gold and 2 total medals shy of their 2017 result.

Swimming Medal Table Through Day 5

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ice
2 years ago

Just to correct, 200 Free wasnt a 2nd straight win for Malaysia, as Singapore’s Darren Chua won in 2019.

SLSR
Reply to  ice
2 years ago

Hey Ice, what do you think of the Singapore men’s 4x200m free relay selection? I mean, after seeing Joe’s 1:52 split, it’s easy to say Gary should have put Ardi instead. But what did you make of it?

ice
Reply to  SLSR
2 years ago

Yes, I would have swum Ardi. I know Ardi isnt in super good form, but he has a mid 1:50s PB, so given a flying start, slowest maybe a 1:51s split? I mean, I love Joe and I love his attitude that if Gary calls for him, he’ll step up. I also have huge respect for how he basically owned up to doing badly on his own split. But I dont think Joe has touched a 200 Free since literally the 2019 SEA Games, so it was a huge huge ask for someone who has gone down to the 50s and 100s.

However, nothing we do would beat the Vietnamese, I’m realistic that way. If we had wanted to beat… Read more »

SLSR
Reply to  ice
2 years ago

Yea, agree with you that Vietnam would have come up tops nevertheless. I expected us to be challenged but didn’t know they would be that strong on the day.

They’ve laid down a marker and now it’s up to us to respond accordingly.

Kudos really to our boys in NS for doing what they did despite serving.

My top moments for the Sg team were definitely Max Ang’s 200m Breast win (and time) and Teong’s 21.93.

Special mention to Zheng Wen for swimming a 1:48.20 PB for the 200 free silver, in his 13th race of the competition, out there in lane 1 and nearly winning it.

ice
Reply to  SLSR
2 years ago

Zheng Wen’s 200 Free was actually to me, his race of the meet, despite it not being a gold medal win. I had wrongly written him off after his form the day before and his heats swim, but he went out really hard, and showed how much heart he has.

My top moments totally the same as yours. Max’s was a gold medal I had quietly hoped for but the way he did it was nuts. Max has been a boy who literally has been clocking NRs everytime he swam the 200 Breast the last 2 years. I hope with Nick Mahabir now coming up, our mens breaststroke is in very good hands. Teong’s was just out of this… Read more »

Kenneth
Reply to  ice
2 years ago

Heard rumours that Levenia was due to swim in the Asian Games before it got postponed, but how does that work actually? Levenia’s 100m backstroke time in the US national trials of 1:00.97 (her PB is 1:00.94) is already faster than Tao Li’s national record of 1:01.60 and since it’s not been recognised by SSA yet, does that mean Levenia has technically not declared for Singapore yet? According to Swimswam she’s been named in the US roster for the Mel Zajac Jr Invitational.

Letitia herself is still named on the US national junior team but her best 100m breaststroke time has already been recognised as the Singapore national record.

Heard Elena Pedersen’s doing her A Levels and therefore did… Read more »

ice
Reply to  Kenneth
2 years ago

I saw Levenia’s name on the official list for Asiad released by Team Singapore in April, but I went to check last night, that entire list of Singaporean athletes has been pulled down presumably due to the postponement of Asiad (and the fact that this means more athletes can also qualify later). I must admit I’m not entirely sure how it works, but to swim at Asiad, she’d definitely need her citizenship in order so she must have it. I’m aware though that her records arent reflected as Singapore records yet. We just have to hope she does show up eventually. I’m sure the SSA officials will want to make sure she does especially after Letitia’s showing at the SEA… Read more »

ice
Reply to  ice
2 years ago

I was wrong – Elena has appeared in some UK meets I see, but timings wise at 1:05

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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