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C10 | THE STRAITS TIMES | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019 | SEA Games 2019 NEXT GENERATION STEPS UP Young guns come of age with big wins to leave S’pore coaches optimistic of future Low Lin Fhoong Assistant Sports Editor In Clark Darren Chua, Jonathan Tan, Gan Ching Hwee, Christie Chue and Elena Pedersen. Remember the names of these young guns, they are the future of Singapore swimming. With seven individual and five relay golds among them, they were re- sponsible for almost half of the country’s 23 swim titles at the SEA Games. The tally matches the big- gest haul from Singapore 2015 and surpassed the away record of 19 at Kuala Lumpur 2017. National head coach and perfor- mance director Stephan Widmer said the key difference lay in the larger number of medal winners. “We had 23 gold medals but, in the big picture, it’s 12 individual gold medallists. In 2015, it was six, we doubled that,” he said. “That shows the strength of the team, we had so many first timers who won golds. That shows the pipeline is starting to build. “We’re not there yet, we want more upward pressure from kids coming through. I want coaches to dream as well and put more swimmers on the team. But it’s going in the right direction.” It was an evening of surprises, with Gan starting the final day of pool action with a shock win in the in the Philippines. big hug from 26-year-old Ting Wen. “There was strong work on the the 100m fly, in which he also Quah Zheng Wen on his way to women’s 800m freestyle. The But the battle for the 50m The men’s 4x100m medley quar- pipeline, especially for people like earned his ticket to Tokyo 2020. victory in the 200m butterfly final 16-year-old beat Vietnam’s defend- freestyle crown was the most excit- tet of Zheng Wen, Lionel Khoo, Darren, Jonathan, Tzen Wei. With the Olympics just seven yesterday. He would go on to make it ing champion Nguyen Thi Anh Vien ing race of the night, as 17-year-old Joseph Schooling and Chua then “These guys were always under months away, he said it had been a six golds in the 4x100m medley relay (8:48.65) to gold in 8min 41.48sec. Tan outsprinted defending cham- ended the meet with a win, which the radar, they’re been working re- “roller-coaster ride” in Clark. to become the most successful male A “very happy” Gan praised Vien, pion Teong Tzen Wei in a new meet was also the Republic’s 50th gold at ally hard and, with club swimmers “Some good things to take away, swimmer at the Philippine SEA who has six golds at these Games, and Singapore record of 22.25sec. these Games. like Christie, Ching Hwee coming some not so good things but, at the Games. PHOTO: EPA-EFE saying: “I respect her mental Teong was second in 22.40. National training centre head through, that’s something we’re re- end of the day, just focus on the pos- strength and grit and resilience as The tussle for the women’s 100m coach Gary Tan said: “Singapore ally excited about.” itives,” he added. “I’m going back to she swims so many events in a day. fly title saw the Quah siblings, Ting sports and Singapore swimming The 24-year-old Schooling, who training, getting better each day, “So really hats off to her.” Wen and Jing Wen, finish one-two have come a long way, with kids lost the 50m fly and 100m free titles getting a killer mindset. I’ve got Quah Zheng Wen claimed his in 59.62sec and 59.73sec. training through the programme to his younger teammates Teong, seven to eight months so there’s fifth gold in the 200m butterfly fi- An emotional Jing Wen burst into and with the national training cen- 22, and Chua, 19, finished with four still some time. It’s back to work nal before adding a sixth in the tears at the media zone later as the tre in place as well as supportive golds and two silvers – two golds and making that final push.” 4x100m medley later to become 18-year-old talked about her sis- clubs definitely helped develop fewer than at KL 2017. the most successful male swimmer ter’s support for her, prompting a these kids. His only individual title came in [email protected].

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