Singapore's swimmers end Games with 19 gold medals, showed 'resilience' amid new regional threats, says head coach

BANGKOK: Singapore swimming national head coach Gary Tan praised his team’s “resilience” as they capped off their SEA Games campaign with 19 gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals.

This, in particular, given the team's tough start at the meet where they took seven gold after the three days of competition.

“When we went in to assess and talk to the coaches and actually have a conversation with the kids, the team started to lift together and come together. And if there's one thing that we got from this event and this competition, (it) was the resilience that these team and members brought to these Games,” said Tan.

“I am very, very happy. It makes me more happy than winning 23 gold medals. This 19 meant so much to us, knowing that we came from behind … People were doubting, and I told this team to stick their head down and just go for it.”

Tan added that he could not ask for more from his swimmers.

The 19-gold haul is more than triple that of the next closest nation, Vietnam, which won six.

At the same time, this is the swimmers’ lowest in four editions, matching the same number they won at the 2017 Games. They won 22 at the 2023 edition, 21 at the 2022 Games and 23 in 2019.

The threats posed by a number of countries in the region were also evident.

In particular, Indonesia’s Jason Donovan Yusuf and Thailand's Kamonchanok Kwanmuang ended longstanding winning streaks held by various Singaporean swimmers in the men's 100m backstroke, as well as the women's 100m and 200m freestyle events.

The Philippines’ Kayla Sanchez also anchored her team to the women's 4x100 freestyle relay title, the country's first, while Thailand upset Singapore in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

“There will always be someone that comes through,” said