Story by Les Tan and Erwin Wong/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck and Clara Yuan/Red Sports

Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships

Quah Zheng Wen clocked a time of 24.64 seconds in the men’s 50m butterfly final to set a new meet record and secure a nomination for the event at the upcoming 28th SEA Games. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

OCBC Aquatic Centre, Saturday, March 21, 2015 — Quah Zheng Wen set two new meet records in the 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley (IM) on Day 5 of the Singapura Finance 46th Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships.

He was joined in the record books by Bryant Low Zi Xuan, 15, who set an unexpected meet record for 15-17 year olds in the 1500m freestyle final.

In the morning heats, Zachary Ian Tan, 11, also set a new meet record for 8-12 year olds in the 1500m freestyle with a time of 18 minutes 17.76 seconds. This was his 12th record in 12 events in the meet.

Zheng Wen clocked 24.68 and 24.64 seconds in the 50m butterfly heats and super final respectively to set new meet records for 18 years and older. The latter time was 0.02s outside his personal best (PB) of 24.62 he set at the Singapore National Swimming Championships in December 2014.

Zheng Wen has the second fastest time in the 50m butterfly behind Joseph Schooling who swam a 23.70s at the 2014 Asian Games, and both of them should get the nod to represent Singapore in this event at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Zheng Wen finished the evening off with a 2 minute 3.38 seconds performance in the 200m IM, breaking the 2:06.26 record for 18 years and older that he had set in the morning heats. It was also a new personal best, bettering his previous mark of 2:03.79 set at the 1st SEA Championships in June 2012.

His time ranks him second behind Joseph Schooling in the 200m IM. Joseph clocked 2:00.11 at the 2014 Asian Games. Both swimmers have therefore qualified for the SEA Games as well.

This brings to nine the number of individual events that Zheng Wen has qualified for at the upcoming SEA Games. They are the 100m and 200m freestyle; 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly; 200m and 400m IM; 100m and 200m backstroke; 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, and likely the backstroke leg of the 4x100m medley relay.

“I came close to my PB (for 200m IM and 50m fly). It’s coming to the end of the meet and I’m pretty tired. It was another double-event day for me so I’m pretty okay with my times. This [schedule of events] is a trial run for the SEA Games. I’ll have to talk to [head coach] Sergio [Lopez] about the order of events.”

As to what events he may eventually drop, Zheng Wen said that the head coach will make that call.

“I’m not the fittest I’ve ever been, but I’ve been hitting the times I set when I was fittest. 2012 was my fittest year and I’ve been stagnating since then,” said Zheng Wen, who had to focus in 2013 and 2014 on the final two years of his International Baccalaureate (IB) programme while at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

Zheng Wen is now training full time and his final event at the meet is the 50m backstroke, of which he is the national open record holder.

Bryant Low surprised even himself when he set a new 1500m freestyle meet record for 15-17 year olds. He clocked 16:34.84 to break the 16:42.32 set by Oh Yao Jie on March 23, 2014.

“I had no idea! I didn’t expect at all to break it!” said Bryant after the race. “I thought I would do 16:50. After the first 500m, the time was 5:40, according to my coach. I really don’t know why [I broke the record].”

“Damien [Chong] was beside me for the first 500m. Damien, Mark [Chan] and Rachel Soh – the four of us have been training together for one and a half years. So I couldn’t have made it without them,” added the ACS(I) student, who shattered his PB by a whopping thirty seconds.

Bryant finished third in the race behind eventual winner, Teo Zhen Ren, who clocked 16:05.55. Benedict Boon Ji Chao was second in 16:12.72. Benedict (16:03.63) and Zhen Ren (16:05.55) are the fastest two in this event during the SEA Games qualifying window, which will close after at the conclusion of this meet.

For more details of the event, go to: www.facebook.com/swimsnag

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