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KUALA LUMPUR – Rising star Khiew Hoe Yean has qualified on merit for the Hanoi SEA Games in May when he won the men’s 400-metre (m) freestyle event at the 64th Malaysia Open Swimming Championships today.
Hoe Yean confirmed his ticket to Vietnam after clocking 3:50:56 seconds (s) to beat the qualifying mark of 3:52.65s on the first day of the championships at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil here.
As an added bonus, Hoe Yean, who represents Kuala Lumpur, managed to brush aside the challenge of 2019 Manila SEA Games gold medallist Welson Sim, who had to be contented with second place after clocking 3:57.88s.
Welson, of Sarawak, is the national record holder for the event, having clocked 3:49.29s at the NSW Open in Sydney, Australia in March 2019.
The 19-year-old Hoe Yean told reporters that he never expected to win the event.
“I was shocked when I won gold today. This success is a result of all the hard work put in and I was definitely targeting to qualify for the SEA Games,” he said.
Jayden Tan finished third in the event in 4:01.95s.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 100m breaststroke event, national swimmer Phee Jinq En of Selangor bagged gold in 1:10.50s, with Johor’s Tan Rouxin (1:14.65s) taking silver and Kuala Lumpur’s Elsa Eow (1:17.75s) settling for bronze.
Jinq En has, thus, beaten the qualifying time of 1:10.70s to qualify for the Hanoi SEA Games.
The four-day championships will end on Sunday (March 6). – Bernama, March 4, 2022