SEA Games: Swimmers deliver three golds to record best ever 'away' gold haul for Singapore

REPORTING FROM KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Singapore’s swimming contingent made sporting history at the SEA Games for Team Singapore when it contributed to the best-ever gold medal haul at an ‘away’ SEA Games on the final night of the swimming competition on Saturday at the National Aquatic Centre (26 Aug).

The swimmers contributed three gold medals, making it a total of 46 gold medals for the entire Singapore contingent at the Games so far.

The previous record was 43 gold medals at the 2007 SEA Games in Korat, Thailand.

Quah Jing Wen, 16, won gold medal number 44 for Singapore with her swim in the 100m butterfly. Sister Quah Ting Wen, 25, took the bronze in the event.

“I’m super proud of the team. For the last few years, the younger generation has definitely become a lot faster,” said Jing Wen. “Singapore swimming is in good hands… size doesn’t matter, age as well… We can compete with the rest of the world,” she declared.

Lionel Khoo’s bronze in the 50m breaststroke was the 750th swimming medal since the first SEA Games in 1977.

Amanda Lim’s gold medal in the 50m freestyle made her the fastest woman in Southeast Asia in the event. She has won this event five SEA Games in a row – this time, erasing her previous mark of 25.69s in a new Games record and lifetime personal best of 25.41s.

Lim’s swim drew praise from new National Head Coach Stephan Widmer. He said, “It’s her fifth one in a row, and a lifetime personal best since 2009, the [now banned] fast suit era. That is to me an incredible story – it gives me goosebumps. That someone has showed over the last eight years resilience in adversity and came through again and again. We want to build on that.”

Ting Wen took the silver in the event behind Lim.

“It’s been quite a difficult year for me,” said Ting Wen, breaking down as she addressed the media. “The thing about back-to-back events is that you have to put aside how you feel about certain things and separate that from the next race that you have to do. That’s one of the most difficult things, and it really tests you as a person and as an athlete,” she said.

Ting Wen ended the meet with two individual golds, one silver, one bronze and three relay golds. Most notably, she won gold in three events – the 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay – in one night.

“It’s been a tough year for me, both physically and in other areas.” she continued, as she wiped away tears. She revealed that she had problems with an old injury that needed surgery in November. “I’m not 17 anymore, it gets tiring sometimes. What helped me was surrounding myself with the right people and I’ve said it so many times but we’re not doing this by ourselves and I’m so grateful,” she said.

The quartet of Darren Lim, Joseph Schooling, Quah Zheng Wen and Lionel Khoo concluded the meet with a gold and new Games record and national record in the 4x100m medley relay in a time of 3:37.46. The previous record was 3:38.25.

Schooling and Zheng Wen won the most gold medals, with six each from three individual events and three relays. Zheng Wen also has a silver from the 50m backstroke.

National Training Centre Head Coach Gary Tan finally revealed that their target for the team was 15 gold medals. The swimming contingent delivered 19 golds, six silvers and 10 bronzes. “We surpassed our target. That was something we were very pleased about,” he said. Tan also singled out Teong Tzen Wei and Quah Jing Wen as the standout debutants from the meet.

Tan said, “One of the most amazing things is that I saw some of these kids come through together as a team and that was one of the most important things for us as a swimming community. The coaches, the staff and all the swimmers did their part and contributed amazing things for this particular SEA Games and that’s why you see the results you see.”

Widmer echoed Tan’s sentiments, saying that what stood out was the team effort. He said “It was a team competing together. It’s not just a team in front of the cameras racing for Singapore – it’s the team that works together behind the scenes – the support staff, the coaches and so on. To me that’s something great to build on in the future. The result is a part of that great teamwork in the lead up and then at the Games.”

Follow Yahoo News Singapore’s SEA Games coverage here