Asian Para Games: Toh Wei Soong clinches 1st gold for Singapore in Hangzhou
Para swimmer also sets meet record in the men's 100m backstroke (S7) final, winning his second medal at the Games
SINGAPORE — Para swimmer Toh Wei Soong has clinched the first gold for Team Singapore at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games on Thursday (26 October), winning in the men’s 100m backstroke (S7) final.
The 25-year-old - who had won two golds and one bronze at the previous edition in Jakarta in 2018 - clocked 1min 14.99sec at the Hangzhou Aquatic Sports Arena to set a new meet record.
Chinese duo Yang Huaqiang (1:20.12) and Huang Xianquan (1:20.80) came in second and third respectively.
This is Toh's second medal at the Games, after he clinched a silver medal in the men's 400m freestyle (S7) on Tuesday.
Besides Toh's two medals, Singapore's para-athletes have further garnered a silver and two bronze medals in Hangzho so far.
Faridah Salleh clinched a lawn bowls silver in the women's singles (B6) event; Khirmern Mohamad earned a bronze in the men's singles (B7) lawn bowls competition; and table tennis player Claire Toh claimed a bronze medal in the women's singles (class 1-2) event.
The Singapore contingent had suffered a major setback in their medal hunt just before the Games began, as top para swimmers Yip Pin Xiu and Sophie Soon saw their events cancelled due to a lack of competitors in their classifications.
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