Lone ranger Hoe Yean breaks Alex's 23-year-old national record

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 -- Teenager Khiew Hoe Yean swam on his own and still managed to break the 23-year-old national men’s 200-metre (m) backstroke record at the 63rd Malaysia Open at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil here today.

The 19-year-old, the only participant in the event held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, clocked 2:00.80s to erase former national star Alex Lim Keng Liat’s previous mark of 2:00.94s.

Alex had set the old mark record en route to winning the silver medal at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.

The new national record enabled Hoe Yean to better the Olympic Selection Time (OST) of 2:01.03s.

“It’s really great and I’m speechless. I am so happy that I have made the B-cut (for the Olympics) in another event and break the national record,” the Kuala Lumpur swimmer told Bernama.

“I didn't feel anything different despite swimming alone since it is a backstroke event. I couldn't really see what's going on other than the sky or the rooftop, so I think it was all right to swim alone. There's no difference if you know what you are going to do,” he added.

Hoe Yean will compete in the 200m and 800m freestyle events tomorrow.

Yesterday, Hoe Yean, whose last competitive outing saw him bag eight golds at the Malaysia Invitational Age Group Swimming Championships in March last year, blew away Olympian Welson Sim to win the men’s 400m freestyle, clocking 3:51.56s, beating another OST mark.

Only swimmers who meet the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) in their respective events by June 27 are guaranteed slots at the Olympics. In the case of the men’s 200m backstroke event, the OQT is 1:57.50s.

Swimmers can also qualify under the OST, based on universal participation, meaning a nation with no Olympic qualifier will be allowed to enter up to one male and one female swimmer for the Tokyo Games.

So far, Welson and Hoe Yean have surpassed the OST in the men’s 400m freestyle while Phee Jinq En has made the OST cut in the women’s 100m breaststroke.

Meanwhile, Welson made up for yesterday’s disappointment by winning today’s men’s 100m butterfly in 56.38s, with Low Zheng Yong (56.90s) and Jordan Yip (56.94s) finshing second and third respectively.

-- BERNAMA