En-ding it in style
Swimmer signs off by bettering her 50m breaststroke record
IT’S back to school for Malaysian woman breaststroker Phee Jinq En after signing off from the Asian Games in Jakarta with a new national record.
The 20-year-old lowered her own national record to 31.46 in the women’s 50m breaststroke to qualify fifth fastest for the final at Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Stadium yesterday.
Jinq En’s previous national mark was 31.54, which she recorded in taking silver behind Roanne Ho of Singapore at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last year.
In the final last night, Jinq En managed 31.64 to place fifth as her Singaporean rival Roanne claimed a surprise silver with a stunning 31.23.
Suzuki Satomi of Japan clocked a new Games record of 30.83 to complete a double sweep of the 50m and 100m breast- stroke titles.
“I wish I could have done better but to be honest, this was my first Asian Games.
“I made the finals in both my events (50m and 100m breaststroke), so I got no reason to complain.
“Actually, I was not quite confident for the 50m race but after this morning, I was hoping to go faster.
“I was just not quick enough at the start,” said Jinq En, the SEA Games gold medallist in the 100m breaststroke in Kuala Lumpur last year.
Jinq En will return to the United States this Sunday to resume her studies where she is a third-year student in marketing management at the University of Purdue in Ohio.
“I missed a lot of my studies as I have been back home since May. School has started, so I got to catch up but I will continue swimming and hopefully, I can make it to another Olympics in two years time,” said Jinq En.
Welson and Keith Lim ranked 14th (50.34) and 20th (50.73) in the men’s 100m freestyle earlier.
I made the finals in both my events (50m and 100m breaststroke), so I got no reason to complain. Phee Jinq En