Singapore's Quah Jing Wen shatters SEA Games record to win 200m butterfly gold

HANOI: Quah Jing Wen clinched Singapore’s first swimming gold of the 31st SEA Games on Saturday (May 14).

In a commanding swim, Quah took the victory in the women’s 200m butterfly finals with a new SEA Games record of 2:09.52 at the My Dinh Water Sports Palace in Hanoi. The time is also a new national record and personal best for the swimmer.

Vietnam’s Le Thi My Tao claimed silver (2:14.20), while Thailand’s Kamonchanok Kwanmuang (2:14.35) took bronze.

The 22-year-old Quah also won the event in 2019 and 2017.

Quah Ting Wen then equalled her younger sister's feat by clinching Singapore's second swimming gold of the night when she defended her 100m freestyle title.

Ting Wen is unbeaten in the event in four editions of the Games, and touched home with a time of 55.60.

Thailand's Jenjira Srisa-Ard finished second (56.62), while Miranda Christina Renner took third (56.95).

Their brother Quah Zheng Wen made it a hat-trick for the Quah family when he took gold in the 100m backstroke final with a time of 54.83.

Jing Wen added another gold medal later on in the night when swum to victory in the 200m medley final in 2:15.98. Letitia Sim came in second for the silver in 2:16.61 to make it a one-two finish for Singapore in the event. 

At the last SEA Games in the Philippines, Singapore's swimmers won 23 gold medals, their joint-best haul with the 2015 edition on home ground.

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