PETALING JAYA: Fifteen-year-old Ian James Barr (pic) put himself in a prime position to challenge for a first-ever Sukma (Malaysia Games) swimming gold medal after completing a clean sweep of the backstroke disciplines on the last day of the South-East Asia (SEA) age-group championships in Manila yesterday.
The lanky youngster tapped on his reach advantage to touch home in 28.16 to win the boys’ Group 2 50m backstroke final to collect his fourth gold medal of the meet.
The six-footer had won the 100m and 200m backstroke races apart from claiming another gold in the 200m individual medley earlier. All three gold medals came with new record marks and his performances have marked him out as a strong contender when the Sukma swimming competition starts in Malacca next week.
Ian has yet to claim a Sukma medal but having improved by leaps and bounds since the last Sukma in Terengganu two years ago, he will surely be out to make an assault in Malacca.
Ian, who was sent to the Laos SEA Games for exposure last year, dipped under the one-minute barrier for the second time in winning the 100m backstroke three days ago and Kuala Lumpur can count on him to become their first men’s backstroke gold medallist in Sukma. Sarawak can also look to Erika Kong as one of their golden hopes in the pool after the 15-year-old claimed her second gold medal in the age-group meet in Manila.
Erika won the girls’ Group 2 200m breaststroke event in 2:37.30 to return to winning ways after losing the 100m race to fellow Malaysian Christina Loh the previous day.
Erika had started on a perfect note by setting a new meet record en route to winning the 50m breaststroke final on the first day of competition.
Malaysia also secured three silvers and two bronzes on the last day of competition.
The three silvers came from Tan Gin Yu (boys’ Group 2 200m butterfly), Tan Chong Heng (boys’ Group 3 200m breaststroke) and Kevin Lim (boys’ Group 1 200m butterfly).
The bronze medallists were Lai Wei Li (girls’ Group 1 800m freestyle) and Hii Siew Siew (girls’ Group 1 200m butterfly). Malaysia thus ended with a total medals tally of 10-7-3 in this year’s edition.
Perhaps disappointing in a way was the failure to win a single gold medal in Group 1 and it may be due to the swimmers holding back due to the proximity of Sukma next week.
Sabah swimming coach Lim Keng Liat, who is in charge of Wei Li, said the Sukma is the bigger priority for their swimmers.
“It is understandable as they are supposed to peak in Sukma and the SEA age-group is for them to warm up.
“Wei Li could have a chance to win the middle and long-distance races in Sukma but is only confined to two individual events because she came back with a SEA Games medal last year.
“She is thus making sure that she doesn’t slip up in the two individual events she is focusing on,” he said.
The lanky youngster tapped on his reach advantage to touch home in 28.16 to win the boys’ Group 2 50m backstroke final to collect his fourth gold medal of the meet.
The six-footer had won the 100m and 200m backstroke races apart from claiming another gold in the 200m individual medley earlier. All three gold medals came with new record marks and his performances have marked him out as a strong contender when the Sukma swimming competition starts in Malacca next week.
Ian has yet to claim a Sukma medal but having improved by leaps and bounds since the last Sukma in Terengganu two years ago, he will surely be out to make an assault in Malacca.
Ian, who was sent to the Laos SEA Games for exposure last year, dipped under the one-minute barrier for the second time in winning the 100m backstroke three days ago and Kuala Lumpur can count on him to become their first men’s backstroke gold medallist in Sukma. Sarawak can also look to Erika Kong as one of their golden hopes in the pool after the 15-year-old claimed her second gold medal in the age-group meet in Manila.
Erika won the girls’ Group 2 200m breaststroke event in 2:37.30 to return to winning ways after losing the 100m race to fellow Malaysian Christina Loh the previous day.
Erika had started on a perfect note by setting a new meet record en route to winning the 50m breaststroke final on the first day of competition.
Malaysia also secured three silvers and two bronzes on the last day of competition.
The three silvers came from Tan Gin Yu (boys’ Group 2 200m butterfly), Tan Chong Heng (boys’ Group 3 200m breaststroke) and Kevin Lim (boys’ Group 1 200m butterfly).
The bronze medallists were Lai Wei Li (girls’ Group 1 800m freestyle) and Hii Siew Siew (girls’ Group 1 200m butterfly). Malaysia thus ended with a total medals tally of 10-7-3 in this year’s edition.
Perhaps disappointing in a way was the failure to win a single gold medal in Group 1 and it may be due to the swimmers holding back due to the proximity of Sukma next week.
Sabah swimming coach Lim Keng Liat, who is in charge of Wei Li, said the Sukma is the bigger priority for their swimmers.
“It is understandable as they are supposed to peak in Sukma and the SEA age-group is for them to warm up.
“Wei Li could have a chance to win the middle and long-distance races in Sukma but is only confined to two individual events because she came back with a SEA Games medal last year.
“She is thus making sure that she doesn’t slip up in the two individual events she is focusing on,” he said.
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