NATIONAL swimmer Kevin Yeap missed out on qualifying for the Incheon Asian Games and Glasgow Commonwealth Games at the Malaysian Open yesterday but proved he is inching closer to his best as he romped to the gold in the men’s 400m freestyle at the National Aquatics Complex in Bukit Jalil.
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| Kevin Yeap won the 400m freestyle at the National Aquatics Complex in Bukit Jalil yesterday. Pic by Hasriyasyah Sabudin |
Representing Perak, Kevin emerged the winner in a time of 3 minutes 53.65 seconds, only slightly off his national record of 3:53.26s, with Singapore’s Danny Yeo coming in second on 3:56.52s. Sarawak’s Vernon Lee finished third (3:58.77s).
Kevin needed to beat 3:51.74s to qualify for the Commonwealth Games and 3:49.15s for the Asian Games.
The former Sea Games gold medallist said he was delighted to be back on the track after a viral infection derailed the early part of his season this year.
“I suffered the illness towards the end of last year and it affected my performances for some time. I felt weak,” said the 25-year-old, who clinched qualification for next year’s World Championships in Russia in the event at the Singapore National Age Group Championships in March.
“I have been training very hard to get back to this level and although I missed out on qualifying for Incheon and Glasgow, I am happy that I swam a few seconds faster than I did in Singapore (National Age Group) where I did 3:56.90s.”
Kevin added that he still hoped to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in the 1,500m freestyle which will be held today but believes he has a better chance of making the World Championships which has set a ‘B’ time of 15:45.97s.
The Malaysian Open is the last chance for national swimmers to qualify on merit for both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
Khoo Cai Lin (Selangor), who has also been troubled by injury since late last year, suffered the same fate as she also missed out on qualifying for Incheon and Glasgow in the women’s 400m freestyle but set a new meet record of 4:16.83s, erasing the former mark of 4:17.73s she set last year, en route to victory in the event.
Indonesia’s Raina Saumi Grahana (4:25.71s) and teammate Asmalia Filzati Redzuan (4:28.56s) finished second and third respectively.
“Obviously I am disappointed (not to qualify) as this is the last chance to do so. However, it was a season’s best for me and also my fastest for quite some time now,” said Cai Lin.
Cai Lin needed to exceed 4:14.37 (Incheon) and 4:10.37s (Glasgow) to qualify.
RESULTS — Men’s 50m butterfly: 1 Triady Fauzi Sidik (Indonesia) 24.67s, 2 Chan Jie (Selangor) 25.30s, 3 Lim Ching Hwang (Kuala Lumpur) 25.77s; 100m backstroke: 1 Gede Siman Sudartawa (Indonesia) 55.86s (new meet record), 2 Ricky Anggawidjaja (Indonesia) 57.59s, 3 Lau Shiu Yue (Hong Kong) 58.66s; 200m breaststroke: 1 M. Idham Dasuki (Indonesia) 2:19.55s, 2 Ian James Barr (Kuala Lumpur) 2:21.72s, 3 Choi Shing Tung (Hong Kong) 2:22.76s; 400m freestyle: 1 Kevin Yeap (Perak) 3:53.65s, 2 Danny Yeo (Singapore) 3:56.52s, 3 Vernon Lee (Sarawak) 3:58.77s; 4x100m freestyle: 1 Indonesia 3:32.30s, 2 Kuala Lumpur 3:36.86s, 3 Selangor 3:37.77s.
Women’s 50m butterfly: 1 Yap Siew Hui (Selangor) 27.92s, 2 Chui Lai Kwan (Sabah) 28.31s, 3 Mylene Ong (Singapore) 28.48s; 100m backstroke: 1 Evelyn Lukacs (Hungary) 1:04.95s, 2 Roxanne Yu (Philippines) 1:06.03s, 3 Nurul Fajar Fijriati (Indonesia) 1:06.13s; 200m breastroke: 1 Christina Loh (Kuala Lumpur) 2:35.22s, 2 Samantha Louisa Yeo (Singapore) 2:35.78s, 3 Nadia Adriana Redza (Selangor) 2:37.21s; 400m freestyle: 1 Khoo Cai Lin (Selangor) 4:16.83s (new meet record), Raina Saumi Grahana (Indonesia) 4:25.71s, 3 Monalisa Arieswati 4:28.56s; 4x100m freestyle: 1 Indonesia 4:03.45s, 2 Macau 4:06.26s, 3 Kuala Lumpur 4:12.65s.
Read more: SWIMMING / Malaysian Open: No Games cheer for Kevin - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/swimming-malaysian-open-no-games-cheer-for-kevin-1.593171?cache=%2F7.215006%2F7.250375%3Fkey%3DKuala+Lumpur%2F7.298534#ixzz31NL69uaF
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