Hoe Yean splashes his way to meet SEA Games qualifying mark

PETALING JAYA: Youngster Khiew Hoe Yean (pic) got his 2022 campaign off to a splashing start by winning all three races he contested in and made the SEA Games qualifying mark on the first day of the Milo Age-Group swimming championships in Bukit Jalil.

The 19-year-old started the day by winning the boys’ 1,500m freestyle (13-25) race in 15:46.86 for Ikan Bilis Swimming Club at the National Aquatic Centre yesterday.

Teammates Jayden Tan, got the silver in 15:50.02 ahead of Sebastian Soon, who finished in 15:54.41.

Hoe Yean then made the Vietnam SEA Games qualifying mark when he came back in the evening to clock a winning time of 2:03.76 in the 200m backstroke (17-25) event.

Terence Ng of Pade Supersharkz got the silver in 2:10.36 as Hoe Yean’s younger brother Tze Yean came in third in 2:13.77.

The SEA Games third place qualifying mark for the 200m backstroke is 2:03.89 set by Hoe Yean when he took bronze in the Philippines in 2019.

Hoe Yean is currently the national record holder in his pet event after he swam 2:00.80 at the Malaysian Open in June last year to erase the previous mark of 2:00.94 set by Alex Lim Keng Liat in 1998.

“It went pretty well for me, this being my first competition this year,” said Hoe Yean.

“We were treating it more like a training session but I gave my 100% effort in my three finals.

“It was not easy to train under the current situation caused by Covid-19 and I believe I will be able to go faster once I start to taper for the SEA Games,” said Hoe Yean, who will begin his Bachelor of Computer Science undergraduate programme at UCSI University after Chinese New Year.

It’s going to be a busy year for the Kuala Lumpur-born teenager as he also has his eyes set on earning a spot for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Hangzhou Asian Games later in the year.

Ikan Bilis Swimming Club are also counting on another young prodigy Mohd Dhuha Zulkifli to stamp his mark in the boys’ 13-14 age group.

Dhuha will launch his bid for a clean sweep after winning the 100m freestyle in 54.13. He also came in first in the 200m individual medley in 2:15.95.

BOYS

13-25

1500m freestyle: 1. Khiew Hoe Yean (Ikan Bilis) 15:46.86, 2. Jayden Tan (Ikan Bilis) 15:50.02, 3. Sebastian Soon (Ikan Bilis) 15:54.41.

17-25

200m individual medley: 1. Hii Puong Wei (Swk) 2:05.86, 2. Arvin Singh Chalal (Ter) 2:10.68, 3. Edric Ong (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:16.53.

100m freestyle: 1. Khiew Hoe Yean (Ikan Bilis) 51.07, 2. Terence Ng (Pade-Supersharkz) 51.94, 3. Low Ken Ji (Ikan Bilis) 52.63.

200m backstroke: 1. Khiew Hoe Yean (Ikan Bilis) 2:03.76, 2. Terence Ng (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:10.36, 3. Khiew Tze Yean (Ikan Bilis) 2:13.77.

15-16

100m freestyle: 1. Tong Yu Jing (Wahoo Swim Team) 53.27, 2. Fo En Rui (Johor Baru Ezy) 54.48, 3. Samuel Ng (Sab) 54.85.

200m backstroke: 1. Loke Yew Jien (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:19.33, 2. Muhd Arif Zulkifli (Ikan Bilis) 2:20.51, 3. Darren Kung (Pen) 2:23.79.

200m individual medley: 1. Ng Yean Yu (Dsa Swimming Club) 2:16.34, 2. Rio Shirai (Chinese Swimming Club) 2:18.96, 3. Chua Yu Yang (Swk) 2:19.84.

13-14

100m freestyle: 1. Muhd Dhuha Zulkifli (Ikan Bilis) 54.13, 2. Lim Kai Yi (Ku Renang) 57.21, 3. Yong Jun Ang (Ku Renang) 57.61.

200m individual medley: 1. Muhd Dhuha Zulkifli (Ikan Bilis) 2:15.95, 2. Lim Kai Yi (Ku Renang) 2:21.13, 3. Aslan Adnan (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:21.28.

GIRLS

13-25

800m freestyle: 1. Hooy Jia Yee (Wahoo Swim) 9:46.09, 2. Yeap Mei Kuan (Penang Dolphin Team) 9:47.64, 3. Georgene Wee (Dsa Swimming Club) 9:50.93.

17-25

100m freestyle: 1. Leong Wan Mei (Swk) 59.48, 2. Oi Yee Thien (Sab) 1:01.88, 3. Naomi Tan (Ku Renang) 1:02.66.

200m backstroke: 1. Christy Teh (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:35.12, 2. Ashley Ting (Ikan Bilis) 2:38.17, 3. Natasha Teo (Swk) 2:38.44.

200m individual medley: 1. Keesha Ho (Wahoo Swim) 2:27.62, 2. Ong Yong Qi (Johor Swimming Club) 2:33.69, 3. Lai Qian Ying (Sab) 2:34.96.

15-16

100m freestyle: 1. Kelly Teo (Swk) 59.29, 2. Hooy Jia Yee (Wahoo Swim) 1:00.60, 3. Yeap Mei Kuan (Penang Dolphin) 1:01.80.

200m backstroke: 1. Tan Rouxin (Johor Baru Ezy) 2:28.93, 2. Mabel Ho (Sri KL Sharkies) 2:32.99, 3. Regina Cheong (Penang Swimming Club) 2:40.03.

200m individual medley: 1. Tan Rouxin (Johor Baru Ezy) 2:27.27, 2. Magdalene Lau (Swk) 2:33.35, 3.

Yap Inn She (Dsa Swimming Club) 2:36.65.

13-14100m freestyle: 1. Loo Yie Bing (Sab) 57.95, 2. Rachel van Pul (Penang Swimming Club) 1:02.38, 3. Yoong Jia Jia (Pade-Supersharkz) 1:02.45.

200m backstroke: 1. Chong Xin Lin (Dsa Swimming Club) 2:27.52, 2. Khew Zi Xian (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:38.20, 3. Yap Hay Ee (Dsa Swimming Club) 2:40.21.

200m individual medley: 1. Chong Xin Lin (Dsa Swimming Club) 2:29.65, 2. Yoong Jia Jia (Pade-Supersharkz) 2:34.63, 3. Rachel van Pul (Penang Swimming Club) 2:37.84.