Vietnam’s Vien Nguyen kicked off the 2015 Southeast Asian Games with a pair of victories that included a Vietnamese record in the 800-meter freestyle event.
Nguyen lowered the Games record in the women’s 400-meter IM with a time of 4:42.88. That swim undercut her own 4:43.93 from prelims. Thailand’s Phiangkhwan Pawapotako placed second in 4:52.63 with Singapore’s Jing Wen Quah snaring third in 4:59.52.
Nguyen doubled up with a Vietnamese and Games record in the women’s 800-meter free. She clocked an 8:34.85. That swim cleared the Games record of 8:35.41 set by Lynette Lim of Singapore back in 2009.
Nguyen also smashed her Vietnamese record of 8:40.75 set at the 2014 Southeast Asian Championships.
Ammiga Himathongkom (8:52.99) and Benjaporn Sriphanomthorn (8:56.39) touched second and third.
That makes Nguyen two-for-two as she’s attempting to swim in 13 events on the schedule.
Quy Phuoc Hoang set a Vietnamese and Games record in the men’s 200-meter free. Hoang hit the wall in 1:48.96 for the win. Coming into the meet, Malaysia’s Henry Bego owned the Games record with a 1:49.22 from 2009.
Meanwhile, Hoang downed his Vietnamese mark of 1:49.69 from the 2014 Southeast Asian Games.
Singapore’s Zheng Wen Quah placed second in 1:49.17 with Malaysia’s Welson Wee Shen Sim earning third in 1:50.73.
Queh returned in the men’s 100-meter back to break the Singapore and Games record in the event. Quah clocked a 54.51, lower than the 55.59 set by Siman Sudartawa back in 2011.
That swim also downed Quah’s Singapore mark of 55.86 from the 2015 Singapore Age Group Championships.
Sudartawa took second tonight in 55.60 with Vietnam’s Duy Khoi Tran winding up third in 56.31.
Thailand’s Radomyos Matjiur claimed the men’s 200-meter breast title in 2:14.83, while Singapore’s Chien Yin Lionel Khoo (2:16.66) and Christopher Ee Hong Cheong (2:16.99) closed out the podium.
In relay action, Singapore’s Marina Chan (58.07), Xiang Qi Lim (56.13), En Qi Hoong (56.41) and Tin Wen Quah (55.99) won the women’s 400-meter free relay in 3:46.60.
Another potential ” Hosszu Slayer” @. Kazan!
“Katie,” you’ve got people coming out if the woodwork gunning for you.
That Icelandic girl…now this Vietnamese miss…you better come “home” to LA, forget about Kazan and just start training for Rio!