The flag bearer

Hoe yean stamps mark as candidate for 2024 Olympics

PETALING JAYA: Khiew Hoe Yean has shown an early indication that he will carry the torch for Malaysian swimming in the 2024 Paris Olympics after an impressive outing in Spain.

The 18-year-old clinched gold in the men’s 400m freestyle Open in a time of 3:50.77. Spain’s Miguel Duran Navia took silver in 3:52.01 while Tommy-lee Camblong of France got the bronze with 3:52.53 at the Astralpool Spanish Swimming Championship.

At the same meet, Hoe Yean also broke the 400m individual medley national record of 4:28.34 twice which was held by his training partner Sebastian Soon.

He qualified for the final from the preliminary heats with a personal best of 4:26.76.

Hoe Yean then lowered the time with 4:24.83 when he finished fourth in the final.

Hoe Yean was especially delighted to notch his first victory in Europe which will make him the swimmer to watch in the next few years.

The Kuala Lumpur lad first came into prominence when he won seven gold medals at the 2019 Asean Schools Games in Indonesia.

“I’m happy to improve on my previous personal best of 3:51.56 achieved at the Malaysian Open in June.

“I did not have the chance to swim many competitions because of Covid-19 and I want to make use of this opportunity to post good times,” he said.

Welson Sim’s national record of 3:49.29 is in danger if Hoe Yean continues to improve in the next 12 months.

It is definitely something the young swimmer is eyeing as he stakes his claim to be in Malaysia’s swim team at the next Olympics.

Hoe Yean has already beaten the 24-year-old Welson, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics, in the 200m and 400m freestyle at the Malaysian Open.