The Star : Christina bags 100m breaststroke gold, sets Sukma record

BY ASHREENA PILLAI

KANGAR: National swimmer Christina Loh is not too keen on the water conditions at the State Aquatic Centre in Kangar.

But the four-time Sukma entrant from the Federal Territories got the job done anyway.

The 19-year-old completed the women’s 100m breaststroke in a new Games record of 1:12.23 to clinch the gold.

Christina Loh won the gold medal in the Sukma 100m breaststroke in a new Games record time of 1:12.23, as well as the silver medal in the women’s 4x100m medley.

Selangor’s Phee Jing En took home the silver with a time of 1:13.03 and Penang’s Gan Xin Jie (1:15.36) took the bronze.

“There’s just been so much drama going on. They were going back and forth, saying the competition might be held in Kedah and then the roof came down. It definitely affected us swimmers with our preparations for the meet,” said Christina.

While Christina bettered her own Games record of 1:12.41 which she set in Pahang two years ago, her time on Thursday was still three seconds off the five-year national record of 1:09.82 held by Negri Sembilan’s Siow Yi Ting.

“I was gunning for a record. I wanted to do better than 1:12. But all things considered, we all just wanted to swim our best and get a good time,” added Christina, who will be gunning for another gold in the 50m breaststroke on Friday.

When asked about the condition of the pool, the 2013 SEA Games double gold medallist confessed it was not great.

“The quality of the water is quite poor. It’s quite murky, but I just swam. In the diving pool (where they do recovery), I can’t even see five metres ahead of me ... that’s how bad the visibility is,” she said.

“Now without the roof, the water is going to be so much warmer! It’s not something I’m used to because I train indoors in Bukit Jalil. In this pool, I just feel like I can’t move fast enough,” she added.

Christina also bagged a silver in the women’s 4x100m medley with Tan Rou Ying, Ong Ming Fen and Mak Ai Sin after clocking 4:29.81.

The gold was won by Selangor’s Caroline Chan Zi Xin, Jing En, Yap Siew Hui and Kok Cher Ling with the time of 4:23.24 while Sabah’s Chris Tan Li Ling, Baveliana Wong Siew Yee, Freda Pan Cheng Ru and Heng Kor Jin took home bronze (4:35.67).