Singapore's swimmers end Games with 19 golds, showed 'resilience' amid new regional threats, says head coach
While this is their lowest gold haul since 2017, it is more than triple that of the next closest nation.
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BANGKOK: Singapore swimming national head coach Gary Tan praised his team’s “resilience” as they capped off their SEA Games campaign with 19 golds, eight silvers and seven bronzes.
This, in particular, given the team's tough start at the meet where they took seven golds after the three days of competition.
“When we went in to assess and talk to the coaches and actually have a conversation with the kids, the team started to lift together and come together. And if there's one thing that we got from this event and this competition, (it) was the resilience that these team and members brought to these Games,” said Tan.
“I am very, very happy. It makes me more happy than winning 23 gold medals. This 19 meant so much to us, knowing that we came from behind … People were doubting, and I told this team to stick their head down and just go for it.”
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Tan added that he could not ask for more from his swimmers.
The 19 gold haul is more than triple that of the next closest nation, Vietnam, which won six.
At the same time, this is the swimmers’ lowest in four editions, matching the same number they won at the 2017 Games. They won 22 at the 2023 edition, 21 at the 2022 Games and 23 in 2019.
The threats posed by a number of countries in the region were also evident.
In particular, Indonesia’s Jason Donovan Yusuf and Thailand's Kamonchanok Kwanmuang ended longstanding winning streaks held by various Singaporean swimmers in the men's 100m backstroke as well as the women's 100m and 200m freestyle events.
The Philippines’ Kayla Sanchez also anchored her team to the women's 4x100 freestyle relay title, the country's first ever, while Thailand upset Singapore in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
“There will always be someone that comes through,” said Tan. “We can only stick in our lane and focus on our own mission, and that mission is to look forward.”
Singapore’s star performers include Letitia Sim, who won five golds and set as many Games records, as well as Gan Ching Hwee, who became the first Singaporean to complete a sweep of the 200m, 400m and 800m events for the third consecutive Games.
This meet marks a “turning point” as a new generation comes through, said Tan.
“I will not deny there are gaps. But as a generation comes through, we do need to know that we have some sort of renewal,” he added.
“And as a national team, we do need to make sure that every single year we build on it, we see what our gaps are, and we just try our best to make sure that we rectify those gaps as soon as we can, heading into 2029 (SEA Games in Singapore) especially .”
Tan said he had estimated that the swimmers would take 18 golds from the meet.
“We came home with one more than the … expected gold medal prediction,” he said. “This last day really pushed it for us.”
On the final day of competition in the pool, Singapore’s swimmers ended their Games with a flourish, taking five golds.
In the men’s 200m backstroke, Quah Zheng Wen won his third gold of the Games in the men’s 200 backstroke.
He clocked 2:00.62 to finish ahead of Indonesia’s Farrel Tangkas and Thailand’s Tonnam Kanteemool.
“This win for me is definitely one of the most memorable and one of the most important to me,” said Quah.
“It’s been a very long year, it’s been tough. And it just feels like vindication and proof to myself that everything that I worked for this year may not have come together completely for my other races, but I still managed to put it down tonight and get the win for Team Singapore, and that means everything to me.”
Later in the evening, Gan clocked a new Games record time in the 200m freestyle to finish ahead of Vietnam’s Vo Thi My Tien and Thailand’s Kamonchanok.
“It’s most definitely extra special (to be the first Singaporean to achieve this,” said Gan of her feat. “It’s a testament to the work I’ve put in over the years.”
Chan Jun Hao won his second gold of the Games as he touched home in a new national record time of 27.68s ahead of Malaysia’s Andrew Goh (27.96s) and Indonesia’s Felix Iberle (28.02s) in the men’s 50m breaststroke final.
Another Games record would fall in the women’s 4X100m medley relay as Julia Yeo, Letitia Sim, Quah Ting Wen and Quah Jing Wen clocked 4:05.79.
Philippines took silver (4:09.33), while Thailand clinched bronze (4:11.55).
This is Quah Jing Wen and 14-year-old Julia’s first gold of the meet.
“Seeing us touch first and then a meet record with just everything going on, I was just like - this is why I love this sport so much. It gives me such low lows and such high highs,” said Quah Jing Wen.
“And I just have to remember this feeling. I am doing this for my people and my teammates … I just love this sport … it’s a part of my life.”
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