Too bad: Khiew Hoe Yean just missed out on breaking the mark after finishing out of the top 16 in the men’s 100m freestyle.
IT’S a matter of time before swimmer Welson Sim’s 100m freestyle national record is erased.
And the person shaping up well to do it is none other than promising Khiew Hoe Yean, who just missed out on breaking the mark after finishing out of the top 16 in the men’s 100m freestyle at Sandwell Aquatics Centre yesterday.
But the 200m freestyle SEA Games gold medallist can take heart in posting a decent time of 50.84, which put him 18th overall in the morning heats.
Welson holds the current national record of 49.54 for the 100m freestyle, which he set in 2019 but Hoe Yean is moving closer to the time set by the former SEA Games gold medallist.
“It’s not my main event as I prefer swimming the slightly longer freestyle races (400m and 800m),” said Hoe Yean.
“This has been an enjoyable first Commonwealth Games experience for me and I am okay doing more events.
“It feels nice to have the opportunity to swim with the top swimmers in the world,” said the 19-year-old, who will close his campaign in Birmingham with the men’s 200m backstroke tomorrow.
South African Pieter Coetze took the last available spot for the semi-finals yesterday with 50.33 while another Malaysian swimmer Arvin Shaun Singh was placed 21st with 50.84.
Canadian Joshua Liendo Edwards (pic) was the fastest qualifier in 48.54 for the semi-finals.
200m freestyle Olympic champion Tom Dean was second fastest in the heats with 48.81 ahead of Ruslan Gaziev of Canada, who clocked 48.84.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympian Phee Jinq En will race in the women’s 100m breaststroke today.
