Malaysian Divers Deliver Yet Again In SEA Games (updated)

Golden girls and boy. The Malaysian divers (from left): Leong Mun Yee, Ooi Tze Liang and Traisy Vivien Tukiet pose with their gold medal at the Singapore SEA Games on Sunday. - BERNAMA

SINGAPORE: Leong Mun Yee collected her 15th SEA Games gold medal after she partnered Traisy Vivien Tukiet to win the women's 10m platform synchro at the OCBC Aquatics Centre.

Mun Yee-Traisy finished the five-dive competition with 306.66 points ahead of Singapore’s Myra Lee-Freida Lim (238.59) and Thailand’s Jiratchaya Yothongyos-Surincha Booranapol (222.12) to take Malaysia's golden tally in diving to four.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games champion Ooi Tze Liang posted 473.55 points to retain his 3m springboard individual title. It was the second gold for Tze Liang, who partnered Chew Yiwei to win the 10m platform synchro on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Mun Yee, Malaysia’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony on Friday, and Tze Liang were whisked off after the prize presentation ceremony as head coach Yang Zhuliang refused to talk to the press.

But team manager Mae Chen later brought Traisy out to be interviewed.

Traisy was pleased to defend the 10m platform synchro gold for Malaysia.

Mun Yee partnered Nur Dhabitah Sabri to win the event at the last Games in Myanmar two years ago.

"I was nervous and afraid that I might disappoint my coach. But thankfully, I didn't do anything silly and we got the gold in the end," said Sarawak-born Traisy, who also paid tribute to Mun Yee for her guidance.

"This is my second SEA Games gold. I partnered Mun Yee to win the 10m platform synchro in Indonesia in 2011. She is very calm. I learn a lot from her as she has competed in many SEA Games,” said the 21-year-old Traisy, who competed in the 10m platform individual at the 2012 London Olympics.

Mun Yee made her SEA Games debut in Jakarta in 1997, but she only won her first medal in Brunei two years later by taking the silver behind compatriot Farah Begum Abdullah in the 3m springboard individual.

Mun Yee finally ended her gold drought in the 2001 Games in Kuala Lumpur. She was a revelation with a four-gold performance, winning the 3m springboard individual and synchro and the 10m platform individual and synchro. She defended her 10m platform individual title in Vietnam two years later.

Mun Yee then contributed two golds each in the next four Games in Manila (2005), Thailand (2007), Laos (2009) and Indonesia (2011).

Fu Kang Bags Malaysia’s First Swimming Gold (updated)

National swimmer, 16-year-old Wong Fu Kang after winning the men's 100m breaststroke at the Singapore SEA Games on Sunday. - FAIHAN GHANI/ The STAR

SINGAPORE: Look out behind… teenage swimmer Wong Fu Kang coming through!

The 16-year-old from Johor swam the race of his life to win the men's 100m breaststroke race at OCBC Aquatics Arena – in new national record time.

It’s no wonder he pumped his fists in the air immediately after looking at the scoreboard. He has just come from behind in the race to hand Malaysia their first SEA Games swimming gold medal in Singapore.

Victory seemed unlikely as the kid trailed in fourth place after the first 50 metres. But he cranked it up after the turn to touch the wall in 1:02.46 just ahead of Thailand’s Matjiu Radomyos, who clocked 1:02.63.

His new time eclipsed his own national mark of 1:02.56 set at the Malaysian Open in March. And more importantly, he became the first Malaysian male breaststroker to take gold in 14 years since Elvin Chia.

Interestingly, it was also Fu Kang who erased Elvin's national mark in the same event that had stood for 15 years.

The Phuket-based Fu Kang said he learned from the mistake he made in the 200m breaststroke final the previous night.

He led at the half-way mark but ran out of steam and finished fifth.

"I went too fast last night. I learnt my lesson and I was saving up my energy for the last 50 metres.

"I knew everyone were feeling the fatigue and I just did my best to beat them. I was so happy when I looked up and saw my name on top alongside the Malaysian flag,” said Fu Kang, who has a chance to claim a double when he swims the 50m breaststroke event on Thursday.

Malaysia also won a silver medal - in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay via Lim Ching Hwang, Daniel Bego, Welson Sim and Kevin Yeap, who finished in 7:30.13. Singapore, anchored by Incheon Asian Games gold medallist Joseph Schooling, proved too fast and won easily in 7:18.14.

United States-based Christina Loh will bid to defend her 100m breaststroke title on Monday night.

RESULTS

Men 

100m freestyle: 1. Joseph Schooling (Mas) 48.58 new Games rec, 2. Quah Zheng Wen (Sin) 49.91, 3. Hoang Quy Phuoc (Vie) 50.60. Selected: 7. Alwyn Tan (Mas) 51.81.

100m breaststroke: 1. Wong Fu Kang (Mas) 1:02.46, 2. Matjiur Radomyos (Tha) 1:02.63, 3. Joshua Hall (Phi) 1:02.87. Selected: 8. Shaun Yap (Mas) 1:04.97.

4x200m freestyle: 1. Singapore 7:18.14 new Games rec, 2. Malaysia 7:30.13, 3. Indonesia 7:35.63.

Women 

50m butterfly: 1. Tao Li (Sin) 26.58 new Games rec, 2. Quah Ting Wen (Sin) 27.02, 3. Jasmine Alkhaldi (Phi) 27.47.

200m backstroke: 1. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien (Vie) 2:14.12 new Games rec, 2. Yosaputra Yessy Venesia (Ina) 2:17.17, 3. Roxanne Ashley (Phi) 2:18.45.

200m individual medley: 1. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien (Vie) 2:13.53 new Games rec, 2. Pawapotako Phiangkhwan (Tha) 2:18.56, 3. Samantha Yeo (Sin) 2:18.77.