Brunei struck bronze at the 36th Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships in Palembang, Indonesia.

Christian Nikles finished in joint third for the Boys' 50-metre freestyle (13-14 years old category) with a time of 25.30 seconds on Saturday.

Nikles's time at the June 1-3 event is a new national record with the previous national Open record and national Age Group mark for the 50m event at 25.63s, which he set last month at the 55th Malaysian Open Swimming Championships in Kuala Lumpur.

Nikles also managed to set a new national Age Group record for the 50m butterfly where he finished in sixth place with a time of 27.84s.

His other events included 100m butterfly (1:02.45 in eighth) and 100m freestyle (56.47s in fifth).

The only other Bruneian at the event was Muhammad Isa Ahmad, who competed in the same Age Group.

Muhammad Isa had a good swim in the 100m breaststroke setting a new national Open and Age Group record with a time of 1:10.51 after finishing in fifth position.

His previous best was 1:12.69 which he set back in April during the 2012 Brunei Age Group Swimming Championships. He had bettered a 12-year-old record of 1:13.90 then which was set by Hj Abd Rudi Hj Rahim back in November 1999.

Muhammad Isa also set a new national Age Group record in the 50m breaststroke after finishing in seventh spot clocking 32.45s.

National swim coach, Eric Landa, was happy with the results shown by the duo at the meet.

"These are tough competitions. Every single swimmer at this competition is here to swim fast and they all have prepared well for this."

Courtesy from Brunei Times