ABOVE & BELOW: Brunei Darussalam swimmers Zeke Chan Zhi Yue; and Hayley Wong Ann Yue with their medals. PHOTO: BDSA
PHOTO: BDSA
PHOTO: ENVATO
Brunei Darussalam national swimmer Zeke Chan Zhi Yue carved his name in the swimming record books after bagging a silver medal in the Boys’ 16-18 years 100-metre (m) backstroke event during the 45th Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Championships 2023 at the Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The swimming sensation also set a new national record with a time of 59:18s, finishing behind eventual gold medallist Tran Tuan Anh Mai of Vietnam, who clocked 57:83s.
Zeke, ushering in the latest generation of swimmers, saw off bronze medallist Philippines’ Ivo Nikolai Enot to enhance his reputation as a SEA Age Group multi-medallist.
The fresh-faced teenager bettered the previous national record 59:61, which he set at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last July.
He repeated his heroics in the previous edition of the SEA Age Group meet having also won silver and setting a then-national record of 59:68s at the National Aquatic Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Malaysia last December.
The talented star had also ended the country’s 10-year wait of not reaching the podium since Christian Nikles won bronze in the freestyle event.
Brunei’s leading female swimmer Hayley Wong Ann Yue earned a major regional swimming medal after sealing bronze in the girls’ 14-15 years 50-metre (m) butterfly event with a time of 29:42s.
Hayley’s never-ending thirst for success and excellence continued after smashing three national records in style in the 400m individual medley (IM), 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly events.
The 50m freestyle record had been in Hayley’s thoughts for quite some time before finally achieving it with a time of 28:07s, eclipsing the previous mark of 28:10s set by Tiara Shahril Anwar in August 2015.
The swimming talent also improved the national record in the 100m butterfly with a time of 1:06:00s, breaking her record of 1:06:12s by 0:12s, as well as in the 400m IM with a time of 5:29:06s.
She was also the previous national record holder in the 400m IM with a time of 5:34.15s.
Vietnam’s Thuy Hien Nguyen won gold in the girls’ 14-15 years 50m butterfly event with a time of 28:23s, followed by silver medallist Thailand’s Maria Nedelko with 29:23s.
Meanwhile, Brunei young swimmer Matthias Jordan Narcis achieved three new personal bests in the 400m freestyle, 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly events.
Matthias, who competed in the boys’ 13 and under category, swam with 5:29:88s in the 400m freestyle, 34:05s in the 50m freestyle, and 1:27:58s in the 100m butterfly.
Eight swimmers, four of whom are elite, are representing the country in the widely popular regional swim meet at the age group level. – Fadhil Yunus
