Hat-trick of individual golds for swimmers Gan and Zheng Wen, Maximillian Ang smashes SEA Games record

HANOI: As the Vietnamese crowd roared for the hometown favourite Pham Thanh Bao, Singaporean Maximillian Ang had only one thing on his mind towards final stretch of his breaststroke race in the 31st SEA Games.

"I've got to beat his guy," he told reporters breathlessly.

And that was exactly what Ang did as he held off a strong challenge from Pham in the 200m breaststroke to win gold, on day four of competition on Tuesday (May 17).

Not only did Ang take gold in a time of 2:11.93, but he set a new Games record, a new national record, and a personal best.

"I still can't believe I won the gold medal, and broke the national record as well as the Games record," he told reporters after a sensational swim. "I've always wanted it all my life."

The previous Games record stood at 2:12.09.

Along with Ang, Singapore's swimmers snagged a total of three gold medals, with Gan Ching Hwee and Quah Zheng Wen each winning their third individual gold medal at this year's SEA Games.

This brings Team Singapore's total tally in the pool to 15 after four days of competition.

Gan cruised to victory in the 400m freestyle, proving her dominance in the mid- and long-distance freestyle events, having earlier won the 200m and 800m. Her 400m gold was Singapore's first in the event since Joscelin Yeo won in 1995.

Thailand’s Kamonchanok Kwanmuang finished second, and Vietnam’s My Tien Vo Thi took bronze.

Singapore’s Ashley Lim narrowly missed out on fourth, but set a new personal best.

Quah Zheng Wen claimed his third individual gold of the Games when he took victory in the men’s 50m backstroke with a time of 25.83. Paul Le Nguyen settled for silver while I Gede Siman Sudartawa claimed bronze.

This meant that Quah wrestled back the title, which he last won in 2015.

Quah’s compatriot Gabriel Koo finished fifth but registered a new personal best of 26.42.

In the 50m butterfly, Quah Ting Wen was pipped to gold by Thailand’s Jenjira Srisa-Ard. Ting Wen took silver, while her sister Jing Wen rounded up the top three. Jing Wen's time of 26.98 was a new personal best.

But there was disappointment in the final event of the day as the men's 4x200m freestyle relay lineup of Jonathan Tan, Glen Lim, Joseph Schooling and Quah clocked a time of 7:21.49 to finish behind Malaysia and Vietnam, who set a new Games record.

"We went out there and gave our best and it didn't really come together this time," said Quah.

"Definitely think we have things to improve on, things to do better. Like before, just keep moving forward and just get better day by day," Quah added.

With all his events over, Schooling ended his Games campaign with two gold and one bronze.