Christina’s departure to US a blow to swim team

National swimmer Christina Loh with the two gold medals she won at SUKMA in Kangar last year. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s SEA Games medal hopes in swimming has suffered a setback.

Swimmer Christina Loh has set up base in the United States and it’s unsure if she will come back to defend her SEA Games breaststroke titles in Singapore this June.

National coach Paul Birmingham confirmed that the 20-year-old has left the full-time training programme in Bukit Jalil to pursue further studies in the US, where she is pursuing a course in interior designing at the Indian River State College in Florida.

The Indian River State College are the reigning champions in swimming at the NCAA junior level.

The Penang-born Christina proved to be a worthy successor to Siow Yi Ting as the region’s breaststroke queen with a double gold medal feat (100m and 200m breastroke) at the Myanmar SEA Games in 2013.

Birmingham hopes that Christina will follow in the footsteps of Yi Ting, who remained active in swimming while pursuing further education in the US.

Yi Ting continued to represent the country at the multi-sports Games right until she graduated from university in 2012.

“I’m happy she is charting a new course for herself. I wish her the best. It’s a good opportunity to improve herself. As for the SEA Games, I hope she will come back and compete. She is an asset,” said Birmingham.

It’ll be crucial for Malaysia that Christina returns for the Games and bolster the country’s medal hopes, especially since the 50m breaststroke event will be contested in Singapore this time.

Christina won the event the last time it was contested at the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang.

It is her pet event and she holds the national record of 32.29, which was set at the World Championships in Shanghai in 2011.