Yi Ting Still Invincible In The Women’s 200m Breaststroke

KUALA LUMPUR: Siow Yi Ting may be the oldest swimmer in the national team but she is still invincible when it comes to the women’s 200m breaststroke.

The 26-year-old managed to beat the London Olympic invitational time for the long distance breaststroke race despite swimming alone in the national age-group meet at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.

Yi Ting clocked 2:31.23 in the 18 and over age-group to dip under the London Olympic invitational time of 2:32.03.

Yi Ting was the only Malaysian swimmer to reach Olympic qualifying standards on the first day of the age-group meet.



This is the second event that she has met the Olympic invitation time.

She dipped under the 100m breaststroke invitational time at the Indonesia SEA Games last November.

Yi Ting explained that she had to swim alone in the age-group meet as FINA, governing body for the sport, do not allow overage swimmers to be grouped together.

“Usually, the 21 and over swimmers do not swim in the age-group meet but the organisers included us as this was an Olympic qualifying meet.

“I could have done better if there was someone pushing me. But I’m not complaining as I’m happy with the time I did. I improved on my splits compared to the Singapore national age-group meet last month,” said Yi Ting, who bagged two golds and one silver in her comeback to competition at the SEA Games.

The Negri Sembilan swimmer graduated with a BA in Arts and Sculpture from the University of Arkansas in the United States and only returned home in August last year to train at Bukit Jalil under national coach Paul Birmingham.

Despite taking more than a year off to focus on her studies, Yi Ting managed to deliver the goods at the SEA Games and is determined to work harder to earn a fourth consecutive appearance at the Olympics in July.

A swimmer who makes the invitational time is not assured of a place at the Olympics as it depends on the rankings and Yi Tin will need to improve before the deadline ends at the end of June.

Yi Ting is determined to improve on her time in the Malaysian Open next month and the Singapore Open in June.

“My target is still to go under the A time as that will confirm my place in the Olympics,” she said.

“But I will be very happy if I end up close and break my national record.

“After all, I’m not 16 anymore.”

Yi Ting holds the national record of 2:27.80 for the 200m breaststroke and the A time for the Olympics is 2:26.89.

Meanwhile, top male swimmer Daniel Bego finished second in his first race after a year’s absence.

Daniel, who bagged five gold medals at the Laos SEA Games but later took a long break to recover from shoulder injuries, clocked 52.97 in the 100m freestyle behind Foo Jian Beng, who won in 51.98.