Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee smashes 1,500 freestyle national record, through to final at World Aquatics Champs

SINGAPORE: Gan Ching Hwee's stellar World Aquatics Championships continued on Monday (Jul 28), when she obliterated her 1,500m freestyle national record and became the first Singaporean female swimmer to qualify for a final at the meet since 2007.

At the World Aquatics Championships Arena in Kallang, the 22-year-old clocked a time of 16:01.29 to eclipse her previous national record of 16:10.13, which she set at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

"It means the world to me (to clock a best time). Swimming in front of my friends and my family, I don't think that many people I know have watched me live," she told reporters.

"I just wanted to do my best and kind of celebrate the wins that come along and thank them for their support."

The Singaporean finished third in her heat and qualified fourth overall, behind United States' Katie Ledecky, Australia's Lani Pallister, and Italy's Simona Quadarella, the defending champion.

"During the race, it definitely felt good, I felt strong," Gan said. "Towards the end it hurt, but that's a normal part of racing ... Learning to embrace the pain the more I race is really important for this event especially."

She will compete in the final on Tuesday. Before Gan, the last Singaporean female swimmer to make a final at the championships was Tao Li 18 years ago.

According to Singapore Aquatics, her 800m split time in the race on Monday was also a new national record of 8:29.93, which is about four seconds faster than the 8:32.37 she set in the 800m freestyle heats in Paris, where she finished ninth overall.

"I go in every race without expectations," said Gan. "Sure, last night I was thinking (that there'd be) so many eyes watching me, especially from yesterday. But ultimately, once I jump in, I let go of all