HOE YEAN SETS SIGHTS ON BREAKING NATIONAL RECORD AT PARIS OLYMPICS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- National swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean aims to break the national record, which is his personal best, in the 400 metres (m) freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begins on July 26.

To realise this dream, the 22-year-old will improve his swimming speed during a training camp in Ireland next week.

“My goal is to improve my personal best (national record) of 3:48.36 seconds so that I can keep improving.

“That is part of my first goal in Paris. I just want to give my best performance in Paris and gain experience out there,” he said during a training session at the National Aquatic Centre, Bukit Jalil, here today.

Hoe Yean broke the national 400m freestyle record at the Australian Open in Gold Coast last April.

He said that participating in the prestigious sporting event has been his dream since childhood, and he does not want to waste the opportunity.

“It’s always been my dream to compete in the Olympics since I started to swim. When I was eight, I told my mother I wanted to go to the Olympics one day. It is a childhood dream for me,” he said.

Another national swimmer, Tan Rouxin, admitted that she did not expect to make an appearance at the prestigious event at the age of 18.

Therefore, she said that will use the opportunity to compete in the Olympics as a platform to gain experience and hopes to break her personal best in the 100m breaststroke.

“I think this is going to be a memorable experience for me, going to the Olympics at this young age. I am very excited and honoured to represent Malaysia,” she said.

Earlier, the Malaysia’s Chef de Mission to Paris 2024 Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, visited the swimming camp to see Hoe Yean and Rouxin before heading to the athletics camp at the National Sports Council (MSN) athletics track here today.

-- BERNAMA