Brunei Olympian Maziah
Mahusin (L) posing for a
photo with Jamaica sprint
king Usain Bolt yesterday
at the Olympics Village in
London. Picture: Courtesy
of Maziah Mahusin

National swimmer Anderson Lim Chee Wei is ready to swim in the event of his life.

The 16-year-old Lim described the chance to swim at the London Olympics as a dream come true the ultimate goal in his swimming career.

The first Bruneian in action at the July 27-Aug 12 multi-sport event, Lim will compete in the men's 200-metre freestyle tomorrow.

His best time and current national record is at 2:05.19 which he clocked just last month.

Lim, Brunei's first swimmer in the Olympics, has adjusted well in London and feels that he is ready to take the plunge to better his national record in the event.

"There are no problems so far as there is only a five-hour difference between the United States and United Kingdom so the jetlag is not too bad," said Lim, who is based in Florida, during an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"I feel very happy to be here. It is so unreal, the whole atmosphere and everything. I also feel proud to represent my country at the biggest Games in the world," he added.

"It is very hot here. It was the hottest day of the year on Wednesday, but it will get cooler throughout the week. I expect to do well at this meet and break my record," continued Lim.

The Sultanate only has four accreditations for the Olympic Village. Thus, Lim's personal coach Christian Manfred Bahr had to switch places with team manager Hj Besar Hj Omar yesterday to gain access to the Village.

This will allow the coach to be there for his athlete during the event.

The managers' event for swimming also took place yesterday at the Aquatic Centre in Olympic Park.

It has been a long road for Lim after he took his talents to the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, in October for better training schedules after receiving one of the London 2012 Olympic Scholarships.

The Sultanate's first female athlete in the Olympics Maziah Mahusin, meanwhile, has been under the weather since arriving in London.

However, she is recovering well and hopes to be ready for her event next Saturday.

"It is either very cold or very hot here. I'm still feeling the jetlag and that's why I'm sick," said Maziah.

"Despite it being the summer, it can get very cold making it difficult to breathe during training. I'm trying to get used to it," added the 400m runner.

She went for treatment at the Polyclinic Olympic Village again yesterday and is diagnosed with viral infection and bronchospasm.

There is still time for her to be up and ready as her event, which is the women's 400m, will only start next Saturday.

Her best time is 1:00.32 which she recorded at the 19th Open International Athletics Tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, earlier this month.

She is the other recipient of the London 2012 Olympic Scholarships in October.

The only other Brunei athlete at the London Olympics is 400m specialist Ak Hafiy Tajuddin Pg Rositi.

His event will only be contested next Sunday and his personal best is 49.23 seconds which he set at the 2012 Taiwan Open Athletics Championships in May.

The Sultanate's participation at the Olympics has been made possible courtesy of universality places that the world governing bodies of athletics and swimming, IAAF and FINA respectively, have opened to countries that have no qualified athletes.

Courtesy from Brunei Times