SUKMA 2024: Record Breaking Performances On Day One At The Pool

By Vikneswaran Raman

KUCHING, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) swimming competitions got off to a splashing start as one national record and four meet records were broken at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre today.

Selangor swimmer Andrew Goh improved his own national record by almost a second, clocking 1:01.39s to clinch the men’s 100m breaststroke gold medal.

This performance not only surpassed his previous record of 1:02.30s set at the Malaysia Open in May but also broke the SUKMA mark of 1:03.05s set by Wong Fu Kang in the 2016 edition at the same pool.

“I have been training really hard with my (national team) coach Eric Anderson. We have been doing repeated sets of training. I think I finally got my technique right, though there are still things to improve to get faster,” Andrew told reporters.

Federal Territories (FT) swimmers Cham Yu Xiang (1:04.55s) and Emmanuel Yung Ming Low (1:04.98s) from Sabah settled for silver and bronze, respectively.

Meanwhile, FT swimmers bagged three gold medals, all with record-breaking performances, emerging as the best performers on the first day.

Muhammad Dhuha Zulfikry broke his former coach Daniel Bego’s 16-year-old SUKMA record in the men’s 200m freestyle, clocking 1:50.03s. Selangor’s Jayden Goh Li Jie (1:52.55s) and Henry Goh Li Hen (1:54.23s) completed the podium.

The previous record of 1:51.05s was set by former Sarawak swimmer and 11-time SEA Games gold medallist Daniel in the 2008 edition.

“I didn’t expect to break the record today. What I was sure of was winning gold for the Federal Territories. I’m very proud of this achievement in Sarawak, in front of my family members, as my father is from Kuching and my mother is from Sibu,” he said.

Another FT swimmer, Jayden Tan, clocked 4:26.94s to set a new record in the men’s 400m individual medley, surpassing the previous record of 4:30.48s set by Johor’s Tia'a Faang Der at the 2018 edition.

Selangor’s Henry (4:35.57s) and Jing Ngui of Negeri Sembilan (4:42.53s) won silver and bronze, respectively. 

The only record in the women’s category was set by Chong Xin Lin, also from FT, who clocked 29.74s to break her own mark of 30.13s set in the 50m Backstroke heats this morning.

The silver and bronze medals went to her teammate Wei Wen Lee (30.39s) and Penang’s Vivian Zin Ling Tee (30.81s), respectively.

Out of the eight gold medals contested in the swimming pool today, FT won three gold, three silver and two bronze medals. The hosts secured a haul of 3-0-1, while Selangor claimed 1-5-2 and Johor won one gold.

-- BERNAMA