Abd Halim Sets Personal Best On Final Day Of World Para Swimming C'ships

SINGAPORE, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- National para swimmer Abd Halim Mohammad wrapped up Malaysia’s campaign on the final day of the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore with a new personal best in the men's 100 metre (m) breaststroke SB8 (physical impairment), today.

The five-time gold medallist at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games clocked 1 minute 14 seconds (s) to finish sixth out of eight swimmers in the final at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

“The time I managed to record was far better than targeted. At this year’s championship, I reached the finals in both events and managed to set new personal bests for both of them,” he told Bernama.

Abd Halim earlier advanced to the final after finishing seventh out of 11 swimmers with a time of 1:15.52.

Last Thursday, the 27-year-old finished sixth in the men's 50-metre (m) freestyle S8 (physical impairment) event final with a new personal best of 27.16s in the heats.

The Sabah-born athlete said he was very satisfied with his performance in Singapore, which he described as a vast improvement in terms of timing and technique compared to his debut at the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester two years ago. He will now focus on the 2025 ASEAN Para Games in Thailand.

“So far, there is still no final list, but I am targeting five events, including one new event to maintain the gold medal contribution at the ASEAN Para Games,” he added.

Seven-time Paralympic Games champion Andrei Kalina, who is competing under the Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA) banner, bagged the gold medal in the men's 100m breaststroke SB8 event but was unsuccessful in his attempt to renew his world and championships record after clocking 1:08.43.

Daniil Smirnov, also of NPA, secured silver with a time of 1:10.72, while 2016 Paralympic Games gold medallist Oscar Salguero Galisteo of Spain took home the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, national para swimmer Brenda Anellia Larry missed out on a final spot in the women’s 200m freestyle S4 (physical impairment) after finishing last in the heats of nine swimmers, despite clocking a new personal best of 4:37.95.

Another Malaysian swimmer, Muhammad Nur Syaiful Zulkafli, did not start in his third and final event at the meet -- the men's 100m freestyle S5 (physical impairment) -- due to health issues related to his primary disability, the spinal cord.

On the first day of the championships on Sept 21, the two-time bronze medallist finished fifth in the men’s 100 metre (m) breaststroke SB4 (physical impairment) final, but did not qualify for the final of the men’s 200m freestyle S5 yesterday after placing 10th in the heats.

-- BERNAMA