BANGKOK, Dec 12 — National swimmer Jayden Tan was the only Malaysian athlete to deliver a medal by retaining men’s 400m individual medley bronze medal on the third day of swimming at the 33rd SEA Games today.
He clocked 4 minutes 25.98s during the action at the Sports Authority of Thailand.
The 21-year-old finished behind Vietnam’s Nguyen Quang Thuan who snatched the gold with 4:19.98s from last edition’s winner and compatriot Tran Hung Nguyen, who had to settle for silver with 4:25.45s.
Tan admitted it was a tense race but trusted the preparation he had put in.
He said the turning point came during the backstroke leg, where he clocked one of his fastest splits to date.
“Of all the strokes today, I was pretty fast in the backstroke I think I improved by two seconds compared to my best time.
“I went out really hard, I did pay a bit at the end but I think I executed it pretty well,” Tan told the press.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Malaysian swimmers sank below the waves, unable to make a splash in their events.
The national men’s 4x100m medley quartet comprising Khiew Hoe Yean, Andrew Goh Zheng Yen, Lim Yin Chuen, and Bryan Leong Xin Ren finished last with 3:41.92s.
Singapore won the event with 3:38.47s followed by the home team with silver (3:40.28s) and bronze went to Vietnam (3:41.34s).
In men’s 1,500m freestyle, national swimmer Muhammad Dhuha Zulfikry failed to impress as he finished last with 16:12.55s behind the winner from Vietnam, Nguyen Huy Hoang (15:19.58s), followed by his teammate Tran Tuan Anh Mai (15:22.59s), and Singapore’s Russel Pang claimed bronze (15:28.46s).
In the meantime, Tan Rui Nee came in second last in women’s 400m freestyle (4:34.26s), which saw Gan Ching Hwee of Singapore dominated the event (4:11.88s) while Kamonchanok Kwanmuang from Thailand won silver (4:13.56s), and Vietnam’s Thi My Tien Vo completed the podium with bronze (4:17.39s).
