Singapore Sports School, Tuesday, April 24, 2012 — Family matters a lot in swimming success, according to new swim sensation Lim Ching Hwang of Singapore Sports School.

In fact, it was his family that first introduced him to the sport.

“I remembered playing in the water at a tender age of five years while my sister was training seriously,” he said, adding that his sister is five years older than he is.

Born in Malaysia’s state of Selangor, the strapping 15-year-old teenager joined the Singapore Sports School more than a year ago as he liked the development program for students here.

“I have improved much since I arrived and that is due to the school’s help,” he explained, crediting the coaches in the Sports School for his progress.

His outstanding performance was clear to see at the 53rd National Schools’ Swimming Championships. He lowered the Boys’ B Division 200 metres freestyle championship record with style in the final. His time of one minute 52.75 seconds was more than two seconds faster than Ju Wei’s 1995 record of 1:55.14 as he streaked 25m ahead of the field in his event. Fellow schoolmate Benedict Boon finished second, about 10 seconds behind, in 2:01.41 while Catholic High’s Lo Ching finished third in 2:03.21.

Yet the amazing part of his story was that the timing he achieved in the competition was nowhere near his personal best time of 1:50. He also holds numerous age group swimming records in Malaysia.

And he has set his sights firmly on higher goals.

“I hope to one day take part in the Olympics,” he declared, though politely declining to reveal which nationality he would don.

Ching Hwang took part in last year’s South-east Asian Games in Palembang. He competed in the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle and made the final in the latter two events. Ching Hwang also anchored the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay teams for his country and won the silver medal in the latter relay.

For good measure, he added his name to the 100m freestyle mark the next day as well, rewriting the previous record of 52.51s held by fellow Sports School student Dzulhaili B Mohd Kamal in 2011 with a 51.88s swim. His time was quicker than Singapore’s national under-17 record of 52.11s set by Clement Lim in 2009. Clement also holds the national open record of 50.68 sec, set last year.

200m B Div boys freestyle final results
1. Lim, Ching Hwang, Singapore Sports School 1:52.75 (Championship record)
2. Boon, Ji Chao Benedict, Singapore Sports School 2:01.41
3. Lo, Ching, Catholic High School 2:03.12
4. Ng, Hean Kim Nigel, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 2:04.24
5. Lee, Teck Fang Kenneth, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 2:04.32
6. Lam, Hao Yuen Stanley, Singapore Sports School 2:05.34
7. Looi, James, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 2:10.25
8. Tan, Jun Quan Aloysius, St Joseph’s Institution 2:10.52

100m B Div boys freestyle final results
1. Lim, Ching Hwang, Singapore Sports School 51.88 (Championship record)
2. Boon, Ji Chao Benedict, Singapore Sports School 54.61
3. Ng, Hean Kim Nigel, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 55.46
4. Ong, Jian Sheng, Anglo Chinese School (Barker Road) 56.17
5. Looi, James, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 56.55
6. Ang, Ding Hui, Raffles Institution 57.67
7. Shawn, Michael, Bedok Town Secondary 57.22
8. Soo, Wen Jie Joshua, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 58.55