Sabah Swimmer Lai Kwan Confident Of Making The London Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah swimmer Chui Lai Kwan has not given up her Olympic dream despite walking out of the national team late last year.

She underlined her intention to better her Olympic invitation time for the women’s 50m freestyle by winning the 50m backstroke race in the Malaysian Open at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.

Lai Kwan was the third fastest qualifier from the heats but she stepped up the gas in the final and finished in a tie for the gold medal with Australia’s Jasmine Tong in 30.44.

It was not her personal best time but sufficient for Lai Kwan to look forward to the more important 50m freestyle race tomorrow.

Malaysian 1-2: Christina Loh (right) and Siow Yi Ting showing off their medals yesterday. Christina won the gold and Yi Ting the silver in the 50m breaststroke event. - SHAARI CHEMAT/THE STAR

The 50m freestyle race is an Olympic event and her pet event as well.

Lai Kwan had already beaten the Olympic invitational time for the 50m freestyle at the World Uni­ver­sity Games in Shanghai last year.

She clocked 26.02 in Shanghai to dip under the invitational time of 26.15 but sprang a surprise by quitting the national team just before the Indonesia SEA Games in November last year.

Lai Kwan is hopeful of improving on her time tomorrow to stand a better chance of getting into the rankings list for the Olympics.

Swimmers who made the cut under the Olympic invitation time must still improve their timings by the end of June.

“It’s only my second competition in six months and anything can happen in sprint races. The start is important and I just hope for the best as it could be my last chance if I don’t go for the South-East Asian Championships in Singapore next month,” said the 21-year-old Lai Kwan, the former SEA Games gold medallist in 2007.

It was girl power to the fore as Christina Loh splashed to a second gold medal for Kuala Lumpur in as many days.

The 17-year-old Christina clocked 32.74 in the 50m breaststroke to again finish ahead of her national team-mate Siow Yi Ting, who touched home in 33.34.

Singapore’s Samantha Yeo took the bronze in 34.09.

Christina marked her SEA Games debut in Indonesia by winning the gold in the discipline last year and she came out tops in her contest with Yi Ting in the 100m breaststroke on Thursday.

Results (All finals)
Men
50m breaststroke: 1. Sejwal Sandeep (Ind) 28.57, 2. Wong Chun Yan (Hkg) 28.67, 3. Lionel Khoo (Sin) 29.08.
50m backstroke: 1. Sudartawa Gede (Ina) 26.07 meet rec, 2. Glenn Victor Sutanto (Ina) 26.55, 3. Tern Jian Han (Joh) 26.95.
200m freestyle: 1. Khade Virdhawal (Ind) 1:51.42, 2. Aaron Agnel Souza (Ind) 1:51.78, 3. Lim Chin Hwang (Sel) 1:52.02.
200m individual medley: 1. Quah Zheng Wen (Sin) 2:04.40 (meet rec), 2. Ian James Barr (Kul) 2:06.98, 3. Poncha Rehan (Ind) 2:07.55.
4x200m freestyle relay: 1. Indonesia 7:46.30, 2. Iran 8:00.24, 3. Selangor 8:00.51.

Women
50m breaststroke: 1. Christina Loh (Kul) 32.74, 2. Siow Yi Ting (Nse) 33.34, 3. Samantha Yeo (Sin) 34.09.
50m backstroke: 1. Chui Lai Kwan (Sab) and Jasmine Tong (Aus) 30.44, 3. Caroline Chan (Sel) 30.87.
200m freestyle: 1. Sze Hang Yu (Hkg) 2:04.16, 2. Margono Enny Susila (Ina) 2:06.48, 3. Kaniadewei Ressa (Ina) 2:08.67.
200m individual medley: 1. Samantha Yeo (Sin) 2:21.76, 2. Erika Kong (Swk) 2:22.97, 3. Kaniadewi Ressa (Ina) 2:23.83.
4x200m freestyle relay: 1. Indonesia 8:50.12, 2. Selangor 8:59.27, 3. Sarawak 8:59.75.