Singapore dominate swimming again at Southeast Asian Games 2023
Jonathan Tan also qualified for Paris 2024, Singapore win their 1,000th SEA Games gold medal, and a trio of siblings topped the relay podium.
Swimming
Singapore rocked the Morodok Techo Aquatics Centre at the SEA Games 2023 in Cambodia.
On the last day of swimming on Thursday (11 May), Singapore yet again cemented their Southeast Asian Games dominance in the pool. Winning 47 medals (22 gold, 16 silver and nine bronze) across the six-day competition, the nation achieved their best ever results.
But there was more to coming top of the nations’ swimming table than usual including Paris 2024 qualification for one thrilled swimmer, Singapore’s 1,000th gold medal at the SEA Games was won in the pool, and three siblings topped the podium together.
Jonathan Tan achieved Olympic qualification dream
Not only did Jonathan Tan clinch four gold medals and a silver at SEA Games 2023, but the 21-year-old qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, too. His 21.91 seconds in the heats of the men’s 50m freestyle qualified below the Olympic A time of 21.96, securing Tan’s place in France.
So how did it feel to qualify for his debut Olympics?
“It feels amazing,” Tan told Olympics.com exclusively poolside. “It’s always been a dream since I was a kid. It’s really a big step.”
And what about that moment when he saw the clock and what he’d achieved?
“The first thing that came into my mind was, ‘oh my god’, but honestly, I really tried to suppress it and try not to think about it because I know that my team still needs me, and we still have many more races to come.”
1,000 gold medals for Team Singapore at SEA games
On 6 May, Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen, Amanda Lim and Nur Marina Chan collectively won the women's 4x100m free relay in a time of 3:44.29 to not only seal the title but the win also represented Singapore's 1,000th gold medal over the course of all editions of the SEA Games.
Quah sibling trio win gold together
The Quah siblings have been competing together for as long as they can remember but it can’t be often they stand on the top step together.
At the SEA Games 2023, Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen and brother Quah Zheng Wen claimed gold in the 4x100m mixed medley relay alongside Nicholas Mahabir.
“It’s great,” Quah Zheng Wen told Olympics.com about competing alongside his siblings. “We’ve been competing together for a few years now and so it’s nice to have your family support you during competition, so I’m very thankful and very grateful for everyone.”
Ting Wen has competed at three Olympic Games – Beijing 2008, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, while Zheng Wen swapped out Beijing 2008 for London 2012 but was otherwise the same. Baby sister Quah Jing Wen is yet to go to a Games but how would they feel if they all made it to Paris 2024?
“It would be nice,” smiled Zheng Wen.