SWIMMING: Trio Flex Muscles To Win Four Gold

KATRINA Ann Hadi and the Lee sisters -- Zylane and Zyanne -- turned in splendid displays to dominate synchronised swimming at the Southeast Asian Championships which ended in Singapore on Monday.

The trio bagged four of the seven gold medals on offer but it could have been a clean sweep if Malaysia had a full representation.

Katrina, who won five gold medals at last year's Indonesia Sea Games, mesmerised the judges with her grace to win the solo technical routine, earning 74.670 points.

The 22-year-old then combined with Zyanne to claim two more gold medals in duet free and technical routines.

The duo were given a tough fight by Singapore's Stephanie-Crystal Yap in the duet free event before prevailing after scoring higher for artistic impression.

Katrina-Zyanne amassed a 74.733 total to edge Stephanie-Crystal, who finished with 70.830.

In the duet technical routine, Katrina-Zyanne were a class above, scoring 75.335 points ahead of silver medallists Stephanie-Crystal (70,830).

Zylane, younger sister of Zyanne, dominated the sole free routine event, posting 70.633 to edge Singapore's Crystal, who scored 70,083, for the gold.

Synchro Stars Of The Future

PETALING JAYA: Indonesia SEA Games five-gold medal winner Katrina Ann Hadi and the Lee sisters, Zylane and Zyanne, showed they are Malaysia’s future faces of synchronised swimming with a smashing display in the South East Asia (SEA) Swimming Cham­pionships in Singapore.

The trio were the only Malaysians sent to compete in the synchronised swimming disciplines at the inaugural meet and they confirmed their reputation as the top force in the region by winning all the events they took part in.

ZZ tops: Zyanne (left) and Zylane proved they are synchronised swimmers to watch out for. 

The 22-year-old Katrina started the ball rolling by taking gold in the solo technical routine, scoring 74.670 points to beat Singapore’s Stephanie Chen, who managed 68.335.

Christina Delivers But Daniel Fails To Beat Olympic Selection Time

PETALING JAYA: There were highs and lows for Malaysia as the swimmers wrapped up their Olympic qualifying campaign in the South-East Asia (SEA) Swimming Championships at the Singapore Sports School.

Young talent Christina Loh delivered the eighth and final gold medal for Malaysia in the women’s 50m breaststroke but it was the end of the Olympic dream for Daniel Bego.

Christina denied team-mate Siow Yi Ting the chance to add the 50m title to her victories in the 100m and 200m by touching home first in 33.16.

Getting better: Christina Loh beat team-mate Siow Yi Ting to the gold medal in the 50m breaststroke at the South-East Asia Swimming Championships in Singapore.

Yi Ting settled for silver in 33.21 ahead of Singapore’s Samantha Yeo, who posted 33.66.

See Tuan the sixth Malaysian swimmer to beat Olympic selection time

PETALING JAYA: Yap See Tuan made a big splash by dipping under the Olympic selection time for the first time in the men’s 200m breaststroke as Malaysia won three more gold medals at the South-East Asia (SEASA) Swimming Championships at the Singapore Sports School.

The 22-year-old from Pahang surged to a personal best of 2:15.96 in winning the 200m breaststroke to become the sixth swimmer after Siow Yi Ting, Christina Loh, Chui Lai Kwan, Khoo Cai Lin and Kevin Yeap to make the grade for the London Olympics.

Swimmer 0.06s Short Of Olympic Selection Time In 400m Freestyle Win

PETALING JAYA: Kevin Yeap came within a whisker of beating a second Olympic qualifying mark en route to becoming the first Malaysian male swimming gold medallist in the South East Asia (SEASA) Swimming Championships at the Singapore Sports School.

Kevin splashed to victory in 3:54.19 in the 400m freestyle final ahead of 16-year-old Vernon Lee, who handed Malaysia a 1-2 sweep with a time of 4:00.40. Singaporean Jeremy Kevin Matthews was third in 4:01.55.

Chasing a dream: Kevin Yeap will be going all out to beat the 1,500m Olympic Games ‘B’ qualifying time at the Singapore Sports School today.

SWIMMING: Bittersweet For Kevin

SEA MEET: Wins 400m freestyle gold but fails to clock Olympic time

Kevin Yeap has been dominating the 400m freestyle since he won gold at last year’s Indonesia Sea Games. 

KEVIN Yeap won the 400m freestyle to become the first local male gold medallist at the Southeast Asian Championships in Singapore on Friday.

He recorded his personal best of 3:45.19, just 0.06 seconds short of meeting a second Olympic invitational qualifying mark.

Compatriot Vernon Lee finished second in 4:00.40 followed by Singapore's Kevin Matthews (4:01.55).

Kevin has been dominating the event since he won gold at last year's Indonesia Sea Games followed by a victory at the Malaysian Open in Bukit Jalil in May.

Yi Ting Splashes To Gold At SEA Meet After A One-year Hiatus

PETALING JAYA: Siow Yi Ting took a one-year break from swimming to complete her studies but it has not dampened her zeal for the sport.

The veteran swimmer could be looking at a record fourth Olympic appearance in London after ending as the fastest ranked Malaysian in the women’s 100m breaststroke at the end of qualifying period.

Yi Ting dipped under the Olympic selection time of 1:10.79 for the second time in bagging the gold at the South-East Asia (SEA) Swimming Championships at the Singapore Sports School.

She posted 1:10.66 with her younger team-mate Christina Loh securing a one-two finish for Malaysia in 1:11.38.

Khoo Cai Lin

Daniel Boosts Push For Olympic Ticket With Record-breaking Effort

PETALING JAYA: Daniel Bego made an encouraging start to his final campaign to qualify for the London Olympics by leading the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team to a new national record at the South-East Asia (SEA) Swimming Championships at the Singapore Sports School.

The quartet of Lim Ching Hwang, Daniel, Vernon Lee and Kevin Yeap posted 7:35.12 to clinch the silver medal behind Singapore, who notched a winning time of 7:30.79.

It was the first Malaysian swimming record broken this year and Daniel’s first international medal in more than a year. He also had a hand in the previous national mark of 7:35.66 set at the Guangzhou Asian Games two years ago together with Kevin, Ian James Barr and Foo Jian.

Nur Dhabitah, 13, Youngest To Win Senior International Titles

PETALING JAYA: Nur Dhabitah Sabri became the youngest Malaysian diver to win at a senior international competition by bagging a double at the South-East Asia (SEA) Swimming Championships in Singapore.

The diving competition concluded at the Toa Payoh Sports School yesterday with Malaysia stamping their mark by winning six of the eight gold medals contested.

And Nur Dhabitah, only 13, stood out as the latest promising talent from Malaysia.

Joining the elite: Nur Dhabitah Sabri won the women’s 3m springboard and 1m springboard at the South-East Asia Swimming Championships in Singapore.

Despite having a lower total dive difficulty of 11.2, Dhabitah amassed 240.75 points to beat the Indonesia SEA Games medal winner Sari Ambarwati in the women’s 3m springboard final.

DIVING: Debut to be proud of

STAMPING HER MARK: Nur Dhabitah comes of age on the senior stage

Nur Dhabitah Sabri

NUR Dhabitah Sabri marked her senior international debut by becoming the youngest winner at the inaugural Southeast Asian Diving Championships which ended on Monday at the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex in Singapore.

The 13-year-old first edged Indonesia's Sea Games bronze medallist Sari Ambarwati for the women's 3-metre springboard title before turning in a flawless performance in the 1m springboard event to win her second gold.

Nur Dhabitah's exploits helped the national back-up squad become overall champions with a haul of six gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

It is an encouraging performance as the youngsters were competing against senior divers from Indonesia and Singapore.

The Olympic-bound divers could not compete at the meet as they are in Dali, China for a training stint.

The back-up divers are being prepared to replace their seniors for the 2015 Sea Games and the 2016 Olympics.

Malaysia’s Future Divers On Display At Singapore Meet

PETALING JAYA: The future of Malaysian diving will be on show in the inaugural South-East Asian Swimming Championships in Singapore this weekend.

The biennial championships will be staged in the years when the SEA Games are not held and, for a start, will feature four of the five aquatic disciplines – swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and waterpolo.

Of particular interest are diving and swimming.

The three-day diving meet will be held at the Tao Payoh Sports School from Saturday and Malaysia will be represented by the back-up divers. Swimming, which takes place at the Singapore Sports School from June 13-17, wil see some of the region’s top swimmers in action at the last Olympic qualifying meet in the region.

The country’s top divers are currently preparing in China for the London Olympics next month. Hopes of continuing the country’s good reputation in the sport will fall on the five-girl and three-boy team assembled from Bukit Jalil Sports School. The likes of Jasmine Lai, Kam Ling Kar, Loh Jiayi, Mohd Nazreen, Chew Yiwei and Adrian Chan are expected to contend for honours.