BY LIM TEIK HUAT
Going all out: Selangor’s Sebastian Soon in action during the boys’ Under-18 400m individual medley event of the MSSM swimming championships at the Hang Jebat Aquatic Centre in Malacca yesterday. — A. Malex Yahaya / The Star
PETALING JAYA: There’s no substitute to hard work.
Just ask Selangor swimmer Sebastian Soon.
The 16-year-old provided the icing on the cake with a new meet record in the boys’ Under-18 400m individual medley as Selangor sealed the overall champions title on the penultimate day of the MSSM (national schools) swimming championships at the Hang Jebat Aquatic Centre in Malacca yesterday.
Sebastian’s 4:40.47 improved on team-mate Jordan Yip’s record of 4:43.41 set last year.
Malacca’s Low Zheng Yong (4:50.21) took silver and Kuala Lumpur’s Khiew Hoe Yean (4:50.37) the bronze.
It was the third individual gold medal for Sebastian at the meet, having come out tops in the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley earlier.
Last year, Sebastian was named the overall best swimmer in the boys’ category in Shah Alam, where he broke a meet record and won eight medals – six golds and two silvers.
Sebastian, who travels daily from SMJK Yu Hua in Kajang to the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur where the national swimmers train, hopes he has done enough to stake a place in the national squad for the KL SEA Games from Aug 19-31. “I’ve been training six times a week with the national squad ... so I guess all my hard work is paying off,” said Sebastian.
“I’m happy I took eight seconds off my personal best in the 400m individual medley.
“I hope to be picked for the SEA Games. I still have a few age-group meets and the Malaysia Open, also at this pool, in May to prove myself.”
Penang’s Tong Yu Jing was the other record-breaker in the boys’ Under-12 50m freestyle event. He clocked 27.62 to erase the previous mark of 27.64 set by Selangor’s Lim Ching Hwang in 2008. Malacca’s Zheng Yong took his tally to six golds after winning the boys’ Under-15 200m breaststroke event in 2:27.14.
Selangor lead the medal standings with a haul of 33-21-21, with 12 more events today.
Penang are second on 14-13-8, ahead of Kuala Lumpur (10-17-21) and hosts Malacca (10-5-2).
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2017/03/23/sebastian-smashes-meet-record-in-u18-400m-im-event/#xYCCEf7qwIOgUgDc.99
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