BANGKOK: Ten years on, Phee Jinq En is still delivering the goods for Malaysia. On a barren day at the pool for Malaysia, Jinq En added another memorable chapter to her SEA Games journey by managing to finish on the podium in the women's 50m breaststroke race at Huamark Aquatic Centre last night.
The 28-year-old tied with Thai swimmer Saovanee Boonampha, with both clocking 31.71s, to share the bronze medal.
Singapore's Letitia Sim regained the 50m breaststroke crown in 31.03s as another Thai swimmer Jenjira Srisa-Ard, the winner in Cambodia two years ago, took silver in 31.52s.
Jinq En thus kept her outstanding record of never failing to finish on the podium in each of six SEA Games she has taken part in.
She was only 18 when she made her Games debut in Singapore 2015 with gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 50m breaststroke.
She repeated the feat two years later in Kuala Lumpur.
She made her biggest impact in the 2019 Games in Manila where she again took both golds, with new Games records to boot.
Jinq En earned silver in the 100m breastroke in Vietnam in 2022 and contributed bronze in the 50m breaststroke in Cambodia two years ago.
Her fastest time since she posted her national record of 31.40s back in 2019 was a grand way to bow out on her own terms.
"I'm just happy to have contributed a medal. My goal was just to be on the podium knowing it was always going to be tough in each subsequent Games. I'm not getting any younger.
"Gosh, I can't believe I've been doing the SEA Games for 10 years.
"I was like about 17 or 18 when I've won my first medal. I told myself,
"Let's do this again. And I'm still doing it against swimmers much, much younger than me," said Jinq En.
"My goal here was to squeeze a little bit more out of time and see where it got me.
"I'm thrilled to do this kind of time. It's not just my best time this year but also the fastest I've swam since that race in 2019."
Jinq En has two days of rest before she swims the 100m breaststroke event. Jayden Tan came close to finishing on the podium for the men's 200m individual medley after finishing fourth in the final in 2:05.38s.
FINAL RESULTS
