Lim Ching Hwang and Christina Loh maintained their reputation for being the junior torchbearers for Malaysia by meeting qualifying times for next year's World Championships at the Malaysian Open swimming championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.
Ching Hwang won the men's 100m freestyle in a noteworthy 51.12 seconds on Thursday, which is the B qualifying time for the World Championships in Russia one year from now.
Singapore's Danny Yeo was second with 51.67 seconds while Sarawak's Welson Sim timed 52.22 seconds to take the bronze.
Singapore-based Ching Hwang was charmed to open his campaign with a gold notwithstanding the absence of proper training. He is looking forward to bagging his second gold in the 200m freestyle event on Friday.
Last year, he bagged Malaysia's first-ever gold in the 200m freestyle event at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing. He has effectively fit the bill for three events – 100m and 200m freestyle and the 200m individual medley – in the Youth Olympics in Nanjing in August.
Ching Hwang said, “I just want to swim some good times here. Although it’s not my fastest (he achieved a personal best of 50.86 seconds at the Singapore National Age-Group Championships in March last year), I am satisfied.”
“I am swimming in seven events and I am using these championships to train for the individual medley as well.”
“I have some competitions coming up, including the Sukma in Perlis at the end of the month and the SEA age-group in Indonesia next month before going to compete in the Youth Olympics,” added Ching Hwang.
Another record was set by the 18-year-old who swam the 100m breaststroke on Thursday for the first time and managed to finish sixth.
Meanwhile, Christina Loh, Myanmar’s SEA Games two-time gold medallist hustled to another winning record with her 100m breaststroke event.
The 19-year-old gold medallist was timed 1:10.63 to dip under the World Championships' B qualifying mark of 1:10.75, beating Singapore's Samantha Louisa Yeo (1:11.71) to the gold.
It was Christina's quickest exertion this season and she eradicated the meet record of 1:10.73 set by comrade Siow Yi Ting, the previous SEA Games gold medallist a year ago.
Myanmar SEA Games gold medallist Daniel Bego was a striking absentee as his shoulder injury erupted once more.
National coach Paul Birmingham said Daniel won't be recognized for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July as a consequence of his absence.
“He may also miss the Incheon Asian Games in September if he is unable to return to training soon. He has only came back a few times to kick some water and not doing any proper training.”
“The doctor has advised Daniel not to go for the Commonwealth Games as his shoulders are giving him problems again,” Birmingham included in his statement.
Daniel made a fruitful rebound from three operations on both his shoulders after winning the 400m freestyle gold in Myanmar.
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