The NST : SPORTCHECK: Lai Kwan remains a force

31 October 2012

Chui Lai Kwan with three gold she won yesterday at SUKIPT.
Picture by Owee Ah Chun

ALL CLASS: She's back and has lost none of her grit en route to snatching three gold medals



FORMER national swimmer Chui Lai Kwan showed her pedigree by sweeping three gold medals on the first day of the swimming competition at the inaugural Malaysian Institutions of Higher Learning Games (SUKIPT) yesterday.

Lai Kwan, who recently returned to the sport after taking a two-month break, showed no sign of slowing down as she dominated the women's 200m backstroke, 400m individual medley and 800m freestyle at the National Aquatics Complex, Bukit Jalil.

The 21-year-old Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) student said she was delighted with her performances, but felt she still has more to offer at the championships.



"Considering that I do not usually swim these distances and have only quite recently returned to training, to win here today (yesterday) in all my events is a very good result," said Lai Kwan, who left the national set-up last year after a misunderstanding with the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia.

"I feel I can swim faster and will look to do better in my other events, especially the shorter distances, as I have another nine events to go," she added.

The food science and technology undergraduate, who amassed an impressive six gold medals at the 2010 Thailand Asean University Games (AUG), said that she is also using the Games as preparation for the upcoming Laos AUG in December.

"I managed to win four gold medals in my first AUG in Kuala Lumpur (2008) and improved on that in Thailand," said Lai Kwan.

"This (Laos) will be my third time competing at the AUG and I definitely hope to better my personal achievements at the Games again.

"Competition will be tough so I am looking to prepare for the event as well as I can."

Another 10 gold medals will be up for grabs today with four more gold set to be offered in the taekwondo event which will be held at the Nilai Indoor Stadium, Negri Sembilan.

RESULTS
Men's

100m freestyle: 1 Chan Yang (Inti) 55.56s, 2 Benjamin Wong (Inti) 56.13s, 3 Mohd Ihsan Nadzri Kamar (UTM) 56.13s.

100m breastroke: 1 Muhammad Noorulashikin (UTM) 1:12.71s, 2 Lee Hsiu Eik (UTP) 1:12.81s, 3 Ooi Tze Wei (USM) 1:14.39s.

200m backstroke: 1 David Hoh (Taylors) 2:31.73s, 2 Sung Jun Hao (MMU) 2:40.79s, 3 Chan Jun Kit (Nottingham).

400m individual medley: 1 Ian Leong (USM) 5:27.48s, 2 David Hoh (Taylors) 5:35.61s, 3 Sung Jun Hao (MMU) 5:35.61s.

1,500m freestyle: 1 Ian Leong (USM) 18:58.27s, 2 Chong Kei Yern (USM) 20:15.45s, 3 Ryan Lim (Nottingham) 20:22.77s.

Women's

100m freestyle: 1 Leung Chii Lin (UM) 1:05.37s, 2 Lai Mei Juan (USM) 1:08.56s, 3 Soon An Nie (Segi) 1:09.66s.

100m breastroke: 1 Leung Chii Lin (UM) 1:25.56s, 2 Irene Chong (UM) 1:26.87s, 3 Farah Lee (Nilai UC) 1:27.49s.

200m backstroke: 1 Chui Lai Kwan (UPM) 2:47.69s, 2 Lai Mei Juan (USM) 2:54.00s, 3 Irene Chong (UM) 2:55.26s.

400m individual medley: 1 Chui Lai Kwan (UPM) 5:56.41s, 2 Irene Chong (UM) 5:58.38s, 3 Farah Lee 5:58.63s.

800m freestyle: 1 Chui Lai Kwan (UPM) 10:36.30s, 2 Lee Zhien Huey (UPM) 10:39.15s, Irene Chong (UM) 10:57.30s.