Vietnamese team celebrated their men's 4×200m freestyle relay victory and record on May 17. VNA/VNS Photo  Phạm Kiên

Thanh Hà

HÀ NỘI — Two new records were set on May 17 at the ongoing Games swimming event at the Hà Nội's Mỹ Đình Water Sports Palace.

Maximillian Ang Wei of Singapore won the men's 200m breaststroke with a time of 2min 11.93sec, setting a new record for the Games and for Singapore.

He eclipsed Thai Nuttapong Ketin's 2019 mark of 2:12.57 and became the first Southeast Asian swimmer to go below the 2min 12sec mark.

 It was also his first individual SEA Games gold.

"I still can't believe I've won the gold and broken both the national record and the Games record," a beaming Ang said after his swim.

"The race went pretty well, I got off to a fast start, and the rest was easy. I've been training so hard for this event, and it finally paid off. The gold medal means so much to me, and I'll never forget this experience."

Việt Nam's Phạm Thanh Bảo came second on 2:12.09. He was followed by Malaysian Job Xi Jay Tan who swam 2:17.68.

The second record went to the host athletes in the men's 4×200m freestyle relay.

A team of Nguyễn Huy Hoàng, Nguyễn Hữu Kim Sơn, Hoàng Quý Phước and Trần Hưng Nguyên outstandingly splashed to the finish with a time of 7:16.31.

The Singapore team set the old record of 7:17.88 in the previous Games in 2019 in the Philippines.

Singapore's Maximillian Wei Ang competes in the men's 200m breaststroke final during the SEA Games 31 on May 17. AFP/VNA Photo

Malaysia (7:19.75) and Joseph Schooling's Singapore (7:21.49) came second and third. 

The Singapore camp lost its grip on the men's 4x200m freestyle relay gold for the first time since the 2003 Games.

Maximillian's win was the highlight of a three-gold haul for Singapore swimmers on day four of the swimming competition.

Multi-time champion Quah Zheng Wen won the men's 50m backstroke, his third individual gold of the Game. He finished first, clocking 25.83sec.

Paul Lê Nguyễn of Việt Nam followed behind only 0.03sec slower. Gede Siman Sudartawa from Indonesia was third on 25.88.

Minutes later, Gan Ching Hwee began the gold rush by becoming the seventh swimmer to win the women's 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle in a single Games, as she clocked 4:14.16 to emerge victorious in the 400m freestyle race.

Thai Kamonchanok Kwanmuang  (4:17.13) and Vietnamese Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên (4:17.52) rounded up the top three.

Indonesia made their name on the winning list after Flairene Candrea Wonomiharjo won the women's 100m backstroke, swimming 1:03.36.

Chloe Isleta (1:03.78) and Jessica Joy Geriane (1:03.86) both of the Philippines were second and third, respectively.

The last gold of the day went to Jenjira Srisaard of Thailand in the women's 50m butterfly. Singaporean siblings Quah Ting Wen (26.88) and Quah Jing Wen (26.98) took silver and bronze. VNS