Chii Lin’s Payback

S. Rajasingam

Sabah star eager to turn coach after she’s done with the action


STAR IN THE WATER: Chii Lin erased the 100m freestyle national record twice in three months in 2007LEUNG CHII LIN’s ambition is to become a swim coach when she graduates from university. This cheerful swimmer from Sabah,wants to impart her knowledge and experience to young children in her hometown, Kota Kinabalu.

Chii Lin was on the right track at last week's 52nd Malaysian Invitational Open Swimming Championships in Paroi. She won the gold medals in the 50m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 4x100m medley relay, silver in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.

She also qualified on merit to compete in the World University Games which will be held from July 1-12 in Belgrade. Chii Lin showed her prowess in the pool when she erased the 100 metres freestyle national record twice inside three three months in 2007.

First she set 58.15s at the Malaysian Open in Paroi in August 2007 and later rewrote that time on November 26 at the National Inter Club Championships in Bukit Jalil with a time of 58.06s. The teenager has been winning honours in the local swimming arena over the past four years.
At the 2006 National Schools Sports Council (MSSM) meet in Kota Kinabalu, Chii Lin amassed four gold medals with three records in the girls’ Under-15. Then at the March 2007 MSSM meet in Alor Star, she topped with six gold medals and setting five records. Her biggest meet was the final of the 50m freestyle at the 2006 World Youth Championships in Rio de Janaerio, Brazil.

“I have been swimming since five years old and began competing since seven. My first win came when I was 11. It was at the 2002 National Age Group where I won 10 gold medals.

“I followed in the footsteps of elder brother Jiun Shyang and sister Chii Wen who were both Sukma swimmers for Sabah. Jiun Shyang took up swimming to cure his asthma illness.

“My dad who runs a seafood restaurant used to send all three of us to the Likas Aquatics Centre for state training and my parents would watch us compete during their off day.”

Chii Lin trains from 7-9am and from 4.30-6pm with 13 other swimmers from the national squad in preparation for the Laos Sea Games under coach Paul Thomas Birmingham