Swimming: Cai Lin Checks In For World Meet

Arnaz M. Khairul arnaz@nstp.com.my

KHOO CAI LIN became the first Malaysian to qualify for the next World Championships after winning the women's 800m freestyle in record time at the Malaysian Open Swimming Championships in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

The Selangor swimmer clocked eight minute 49.04 seconds to better the previous meet record of 8:48.53s set in 2002 by China's Zheng Jing and qualified on merit for next year's World Championships in Shanghai. The win meant Cai Lin closed accounts in the Malaysian Open with a perfect sweep of distance freestyle events, having earlier won the 200m and 400m freestyle. The record time boosted Cai Lin's confidence as she prepares for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games later this year. "I tried to beat the qualifying times (for the World Championships) in the 400m freestyle yesterday (Saturday) but failed.

So, I'm happy I managed to do it on the last day of competition," said Cai Lin, 21. "I'm mixing training and studies at the moment, but I'll put in more hours in training towards the middle of the year as I have to get ready for the Commonwealth games and Asian Games." In the men's section, Selangor's Foo Jian Beng completed the double of sprint events when he added the 50m freestyle victory to the 100m freestyle he won on Saturday. Jian Beng clocked 23.83s to beat Hong Kong's Nathaniel Lai to the board.

RESULTS -- Men -- 50m freestyle: 1 Foo Jian Beng (Sel) 23.83s, 2 Nathaniel Lai (HK) 24.32s, 3 Soroush Khajagi (Irn) 24.42s; 100m butterfly: 1 Rainer Ng (Sin) 57.39s, 2 Cheng Ka Chun (HK) 57.50s, 3 Kevin Lim (KL) 57.60s; 200m backstroke: 1 Rainer Ng (Sin) 2:06.88s, 2 Ian James Barr (KL) 2:07.47s, 3 Melvin Chua (KL) 2:08.29s; 4x100m medley: 1 Singapore 3:54.55s (meet record), 2 Hong Kong 3:55.07s, 3 Iran 4:01.38s. WOMEN -- 50m freestyle: 1 Chui Lai Kwan (Sab) 26.71s, 2 Chan Kah Yan (KL) 27.17s, 3 Khoo Cai Lin (Sel) 27.56s; 800m freestyle: 1 Khoo Cai Lin (Sel) 8:48.53s (meet rec), 2 Cheng Yuen Yue (HK) 9:27.98s, 3 Sandra Ho (HK) 9:28.90s; 100m butterfly: 1 Wong Yee Ching (HK) 1:03.91s, 2 Chan Ka Ka (HK) 1:04.91s, 3 Hii Siew Siew (Swk) 1:05.68s; 200m backstroke: 1 Shana Lim (Sin) 2:20.31s, 2 Andrea Wan (HK) 2:25.18s, 3 Chan Kah Yan (KL) 2:27.41s; 4x100m medley: 1 Hong Kong 4:24.52s (meet rec), 2 Kuala Lumpur 4:34.43s, 3 Sabah 4:37.05s.