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SEA Games: Teong Tzen Wei smashes Joseph Schooling's record in winning 50m fly

Singapore swimmer Teong Tzen Wei during the men's 50m butterfly final at the Hanoi SEA Games. (PHOTO: Sport Singapore/ Andy Chua)
Singapore swimmer Teong Tzen Wei during the men's 50m butterfly final at the Hanoi SEA Games. (PHOTO: Sport Singapore/ Andy Chua)

SINGAPORE — Three years ago, he had stunned compatriot Joseph Schooling to take the men's 50m butterfly gold. On Sunday evening (15 May), Singapore's Teong Tzen Wei also erased the Olympic champion's Games record in retaining his gold at the My Dinh Water Sports Palace in Hanoi.

The 24-year-old clocked 23.04sec in the one-lap race, smashing Schooling's 2017 record by a tiny 0.02sec to claim his third SEA Games gold. Compatriot Mikkel Lee made it a Singapore one-two when he finished second in 23.67sec, while Indonesia's Glenn Victor Sutanto claimed the bronze in 24.30sec.

"My emotions are everywhere right now," Teong told reporters after his record-breaking swim. "I've been training really hard over the past few years, and had to deal with the postponement of the Games from last year. I'm glad it's all paid off."

His gold-winning effort was the highlight of Singapore's four-gold, three-silver and two-bronze haul on the second day of the swimming competition, with three different swimmers earning the individual golds for the city-state.

Gan Ching Hwee began the medal rush by retaining her women's 800m freestyle gold in 8min 42.60sec, well ahead of silver medallist My Tien Vo Thi of Vietnam (8:51.73) and teammate Ashley Lim in third (8:58.98).

In the next final, Quah Zheng Wen and Jonathan Tan bounced back from the disappointment of being disqualified in Saturday's 4x100m freestyle relay by winning both the gold and silver medals in the men's 100m freestyle.

For Quah, it was the first time he had won this event, as he clocked 49.57sec to pip Tan, who timed 50.14sec in a joint-second finish with Vietnam's Jeremie Loic Nino Luong.

Christie Chue, however, could not retain her women's 200m breaststroke gold, as she came in second (2:31.89) behind Thailand's Phiangkhwan Pawapotako (2:30.24). Another Singapore swimmer, Letitia Sim, was third in 2:31.97.

There was better news in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay, as Singapore easily won their fourth straight gold in the event with a time of 3:45.71, beating Thailand (3:48.63) and Indonesia (3:51.57) convincingly for the win.

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