Kah Yan Fails To Win Gold But Manages To Qualify For World Meet

KUALA LUMPUR: Chan Kah Yan did not win the gold in the Malaysian Open swimming championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday, but she was still one happy swimmer after qualifying on merit for the world championships in Shanghai in July.

The 19-year-old Kuala Lumpur-born lass smashed her own national record twice and her effort in the women’s 50m backstroke final en route to taking silver earned her a first-ever world championship appearance.

Kah Yan was the second fastest qualifier for the final after clocking 29.87 in the morning heats to erase her own national record of 30.15 at the Guangzhou Asian Games last November.

She improved on it with a 29.70 swim in the final but still had to settle for second place behind Claudia

Top three: Claudia Lau (centre), the winner of the Malaysian Open 50m backstroke, posing with Chan Kah Yan (left, second place) and Chung Yan Ting (third place) at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star

Lau of Hong Kong, who posted a winning time of 29.45.

Both beat the meet record of 29.72 held by Shana Lim of Singapore and the world meet qualifying mark of 29.80.

Kah Yan, who bagged seven gold medals at the Malacca Sukma last year to emerge as the Best Sportswoman of the Games, said it was a goal of hers to make the cut for the world meet.

“The 50m backstroke is my best chance to make the cut for the world championships as I’m about three to fours seconds off in the other events.

“It was still unexpected as I thought I would not get it after coming in second behind the Hong Kong swimmer,” said Kah Yan.

Kuala Lumpur swimmer Christina Loh bagged her second gold in the championships in the women’s 50m breaststroke but missed the cut for the world meet.

Christina erased the meet record of 33.65 set by top Malaysian breaststroker Siow Yi Ting back in 2007 in the morning heats with a time of 32.45.

But she could not keep the momentum in the final, clocking 32.48 but it was still good enough to give her the gold ahead of Hong Kong’s Yvette Kong (33.25) and Fiona Man (33.45). The world meet qualifying mark for the event is 32.31, which is also the national record Christina set at the national age-group swimming championships in Malacca in March.

However, the national age-group meet was not recognised as a FINA-sanctioned event for the world meet.

There was also joy for Malaysia in the men’s 200m individual medley with Kuala Lumpur’s Ian James Barr bettering the meet record en route to the gold.

The 16-year-old clocked 2:07.85 to smash the previous meet record of 2:08.33 set by India’s Rehan Poncha in 2008.

Ian finished just outside his own national record of 2:07.22. He also missed the world championship qualifying mark of 2:04.39.

Results all finals
Men
50m backstroke: 1. Chung Lai Yeung (Hkg) 26.39, 2. Daniil Bukin (Uzb) 26.60, 3. Ian James Barr (Kul) 27.06.
50m breaststroke: 1. Wong Chun Yan (Hkg) 28.50, 2. Yap See Tuan (Pah) 29.46, 3. Li Long Yin (Hkg) 30.24.
200m freestyle: 1. Khade Virdhawal (Ind) 1:52.19, 2. Pham Thanh Nguyen (Vie) 1:52.21, 3. Ng Chun Nam (Hkg) 1:53.24.
200m individual medley: 1. Ian James Barr (Kul) 2:07.85 (meet rec), 2. Vo Thai Nguyen (Vie) 2:10.17, 3. Kong Chun Yin (Hkg) 2:10.38.
4x200m freestyle: 1. Hong Kong 7:50.56 (meet rec), 2. India 8:07.57, 3. Selangor 8:09.04.

Women
50m backstroke: 1. Claudia Lau (Hkg) 29.45 (meet rec), 2. Chan Kah Yan (Kul) 29.70, 3. Chung Yan Ting (Hkg) 29.87.
50m breaststroke: 1. Christina Loh (Kul) 32.48, 2. Yvette Kong (Hkg) 33.25, 3. Fiona Man (Hkg) 33.45.
200m freestyle: 1. Sze Hang Yu (Hkg) 2:00.29, 2. Khoo Cai Lin (Sel) 2:05.02, 3. Cheng Hei Tung (Hkg) 2:07.39.
200m individual medley: 1. Chan Kin Lok (Hkg) 2:21.30 (meet rec), 2. Wong Yee Ching (Hkg) 2:22.21, 3. Erika Kong (Swk) 2:23.87.
4x200m freestyle: 1. Hong Kong 8:33.01 (meet rec), 2. Sabah 9:03.84, 3. Selangor 9:08.61.