Singapore sailors Ethan Chia, Jania Ang and Ryan Lo win SEA Games golds

BANGKOK: Sailors Ryan Lo, Ethan Chia and Jania Ang won three golds for Singapore at the 33rd SEA Games on Sunday (Dec 14).

At the Samudara Klia Yachting Center in Chonburi, two-time Olympian Lo successfully defended his ILCA 7 crown on the final day of racing and finished top of the fleet ahead of Malaysia's Khairulnizam Afendy and Thailand's Bowonnan Chanram.

"I do enjoy being pressured, and the high-pressure environment and the atmosphere," said Lo. "But now as I get older ... I definitely cherish and try to enjoy each and every race as much as I can."

His compatriots Ethan and Ang both won their events with one day to spare.

Ang won the women's ILCA 6 event ahead of Nur Shazrin Latif of Malaysia and Thailand's Noppassorn Khunboonjan, while 15-year-old Ethan won the boys' optimist event, beating Adison Ein (Thailand) and Muhammad Yaasin Syahrizan (Malaysia).

"I just really wanted to put out my best effort out there, and ... because of the effort I (put) into preparing for this SEA Games, I think the results showed," said Ethan, who clinched a silver at the last Games in the mixed optimist event.

Ang, who took silver at the 2023 Games, described her win as a "good comeback". 

"The last Games wasn't as successful as this one, and I came away with a lot of hard lessons to learn," she said. "I'm glad to say I've built quite well on that, and managed to really improve in the few years to beat some really good girls here."

There were also silvers for 12-year-old Anya Zahedi in the girls' optimist event and Austin Yeo in the boys' ILCA 4. 

Anya is the youngest athlete in Singapore's contingent. Her older sister Nia clinched bronze in the girls' ILCA 4. Thailand's Prin Subying took gold, and Malaysia's Zafrina Zailan the silver.

Olympic