The NST : WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Malaysian duo meet qualifying marks

KEVIN Yeap and Khoo Cai Lin have qualified for the World Aquatics Championships while 14 divers have been selected for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

  The swimmers met the qualifying mark of their respective events at the National Age-Group Championships which concluded yesterday in Bukit Jalil.

   Kevin, a Sea Games champion, held off Vernon Lee's strong challenge to win the men's Open 1,500m freestyle in 3:58.43. He surpassed the world meet B qualifying mark of 3:58.95.

   Multiple Sea Games gold medallist Cai Lin finished in 4:21.02 to rewrite the meet record of 4:29.40 in the girls' Open 400m freestyle. Her time was under the world meet mark of  4:21.31. The World Championships will be held in Kazan next year.

   On Saturday, national swimmer Lim Ching Hwang dipped under the Youth Olympics A qualifying time in the 100m freestyle.

  He clocked a new meet record of 50.95 to win the boys' 15-17 100m freestyle. The time was under the qualifying mark of 51.46. The Youth Olympics will be held in Nanjing in August.

  Singapore-based Wong Jun Bin was the star of the competition, dominating the boys' 13-15 age-group category.

  The 15-year-old bagged four gold medals, three in record times.

  Jun Bin won gold in the 400m individual medley, 100m and 200m as well as the 1,500m freestyle.
   He took silver in the 100m and 200m butterfly, and 400m freestyle.

   Meanwhile, national diving coach Yang Zhuliang has named a big squad for the Commonwealth Games. The men's team comprise Myanmar Sea Games triple gold medallist Ooi Tze Liang, Nazreen Abdullah, Chew Yiwei and Ahmad Amsyar Azman.

   Reigning champion Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng, Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Kam Ling Kar, Loh Zhiayi and Jasmine Lai make up the women's squad.

  Zhuliang is still weighing his options ahead of the competition  as each country can submit two pairs for the synchro disciplines.

  The coach, however, does not have enough quality divers in the men's squad.

  "Except for Tze Liang-Ahmad Amsyar in the 3m springboard synchro, the others are still not good enough to deliver in Glasgow," said Zhuliang.

   The divers will resume their season in the third leg of the World Series in London on April 25-27.


Read more: SWIMMING: Kevin, Cai Lin flying - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/swimming-kevin-cai-lin-flying-1.565657#ixzz2yp2FzNgI