http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC090707-0000125/Four-of-the-best
Four of the best
Even former great Joscelin Yeo leaves impressed as Ting Wen creates a splash
by Tan Yo-Hinn
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery) - Koh Hui Yu, Quah Ting Wen, Amanda Lim and Lynette Lim The Singapore Girls 4 x 100m freestyle team celebrating their 1st place victory in the finals
The picture is obtained from http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1716378,00.html
The fantastic four romped to victory in emphatic style, setting a national record of 3min, 46.91 sec.
SITTING among the crowd on the final day of the Asian Youth Games swimming competition yesterday was Joscelin Yeo, regarded as one of the region's greatest swimmers ever.
Although the former national star and soon-to-be Nominated Member of Parliament has seen it all, she could not help but leave the Singapore Sports School buzzing after the hosts put on a magnificent display to clinch the last gold medal on offer - the girls' 4x100m freestyle relay.
The quartet of Koh Hui Yu, Quah Ting Wen, Amanda Lim and Lynette Lim romped to victory in a national record 3min 46.91sec, obliterating the previous mark of 3:53.33 set at the 2006 Asian Games.
SITTING among the crowd on the final day of the Asian Youth Games swimming competition yesterday was Joscelin Yeo, regarded as one of the region's greatest swimmers ever.
Although the former national star and soon-to-be Nominated Member of Parliament has seen it all, she could not help but leave the Singapore Sports School buzzing after the hosts put on a magnificent display to clinch the last gold medal on offer - the girls' 4x100m freestyle relay.
The quartet of Koh Hui Yu, Quah Ting Wen, Amanda Lim and Lynette Lim romped to victory in a national record 3min 46.91sec, obliterating the previous mark of 3:53.33 set at the 2006 Asian Games.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery) From left Lim Xiang Qi Amanda (SIN), Quah Ting Wen (SIN), Au Hoi Shun Stephanie (HKG) Winners of the Girls 50m Freestyle finals The picture is obtained from http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1716378,00.html
The South Koreans, who had dominated the Games' swimming programme, finished second, more than three body lengths behind in 3:50.56, with China taking the bronze in 3:51.34.
The win was a double celebration for Singapore, after Ting Wen and Amanda had earlier made it a 1-2 finish in the 100m freestyle.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Dance to the Rhythm by First Toa Payoh Secondary School
Ting Wen won in a national record of 55.57sec - breaking the previous mark of 55.65s - with Amanda clocking 56.24s and South Korea's Kim Jung Hye 56.39.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Lighting the Games Cauldron
"What struck me about this team is their sense of togetherness, supporting each other throughout," said Yeo, 30, the most bemedalled SEA Games athlete with 40 golds from 1991 to 2005.
"It's not just one or two, but a whole group coming through. They're nowhere near their full potential yet, and it's just awesome."
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Asia's Zest
'I just went for it'
Indeed, the victory sparked joyous celebrations, with many of Singapore's 24-strong swim team approached for pictures and autographs by star-struck fans.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
AYG Athletes Rachel Yeo, New Hui Fen and Isabelle Li
Head coach David Lim, a former multiple SEA Games gold medallist, paid tribute to a team who finished with five gold, two silver and five bronze medals. "To come off the Singapore National Championships just a few weeks ago and swim out of their skins here is just magnificent," said the former national backstroke star.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
AYG Athletes Lionel Khoo brings the AYG Torch to Greendale Secondary School
Ting Wen, 16, was the top performer with four golds - she also won the 50m and 200m freestyle - finishing level with South Korea's Chang Gyu Cheol.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Ang Peng Siong and AYG Athletes
"I just went for it, went all out for it. I felt so pumped up with the home crowd cheering. We really wanted to win this," said Ting Wen.
On her four-gold haul, she added: "It means a lot to me. Coming into this meet, I didn't expect to do this well. Getting personal bests was my main goal. But this really exceeded my expectations."
It was the lanky 1.74m tall star who played an instrumental role in Singapore's come-from-behind victory in the relay.
Diving in as the second swimmer after 14-year-old Hui Yu - who finished the first leg in third behind South Korea's Jung Hae Un and China's Chen Xiaojun - Ting Wen surged ahead, giving Singapore a two-body length lead over China and Hong Kong.
With Amanda swimming the third leg, the hosts reached the 300m mark in 2:49.52, ahead of South Korea (2:54.24) and China (2:55.00), before United States-based Lynette applied the finishing touch.
"I always feel a lot of pressure being the anchor as I'm afraid of letting the team down. But I kept self-talking, telling myself I could do it," said Lynette.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Mass Display of Spirit of Evolution
Yeo, a four-time Olympian, believes this group of swimmers, who are likely to form the backbone of the next generation of Singapore's team, can go far. "Swimming is an individual sport, but if they can continue to share training methods and knowledge to help each other, everybody benefits and the overall standard of the team will be raised," she said.
The win was a double celebration for Singapore, after Ting Wen and Amanda had earlier made it a 1-2 finish in the 100m freestyle.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Dance to the Rhythm by First Toa Payoh Secondary School
Ting Wen won in a national record of 55.57sec - breaking the previous mark of 55.65s - with Amanda clocking 56.24s and South Korea's Kim Jung Hye 56.39.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Lighting the Games Cauldron
"What struck me about this team is their sense of togetherness, supporting each other throughout," said Yeo, 30, the most bemedalled SEA Games athlete with 40 golds from 1991 to 2005.
"It's not just one or two, but a whole group coming through. They're nowhere near their full potential yet, and it's just awesome."
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Asia's Zest
'I just went for it'
Indeed, the victory sparked joyous celebrations, with many of Singapore's 24-strong swim team approached for pictures and autographs by star-struck fans.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
AYG Athletes Rachel Yeo, New Hui Fen and Isabelle Li
Head coach David Lim, a former multiple SEA Games gold medallist, paid tribute to a team who finished with five gold, two silver and five bronze medals. "To come off the Singapore National Championships just a few weeks ago and swim out of their skins here is just magnificent," said the former national backstroke star.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
AYG Athletes Lionel Khoo brings the AYG Torch to Greendale Secondary School
Ting Wen, 16, was the top performer with four golds - she also won the 50m and 200m freestyle - finishing level with South Korea's Chang Gyu Cheol.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Ang Peng Siong and AYG Athletes
"I just went for it, went all out for it. I felt so pumped up with the home crowd cheering. We really wanted to win this," said Ting Wen.
On her four-gold haul, she added: "It means a lot to me. Coming into this meet, I didn't expect to do this well. Getting personal bests was my main goal. But this really exceeded my expectations."
It was the lanky 1.74m tall star who played an instrumental role in Singapore's come-from-behind victory in the relay.
Diving in as the second swimmer after 14-year-old Hui Yu - who finished the first leg in third behind South Korea's Jung Hae Un and China's Chen Xiaojun - Ting Wen surged ahead, giving Singapore a two-body length lead over China and Hong Kong.
With Amanda swimming the third leg, the hosts reached the 300m mark in 2:49.52, ahead of South Korea (2:54.24) and China (2:55.00), before United States-based Lynette applied the finishing touch.
"I always feel a lot of pressure being the anchor as I'm afraid of letting the team down. But I kept self-talking, telling myself I could do it," said Lynette.
This is the Time, this is the Moment (Gallery)
Mass Display of Spirit of Evolution
Yeo, a four-time Olympian, believes this group of swimmers, who are likely to form the backbone of the next generation of Singapore's team, can go far. "Swimming is an individual sport, but if they can continue to share training methods and knowledge to help each other, everybody benefits and the overall standard of the team will be raised," she said.
AYG Theme Song in the making
The picture is obtained from http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1642512,00.html
AYG Theme Song in the making
The picture is obtained from http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1642512,00.html
- TODAY, Tuesday, July 07, 2009
- http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC090707-0000125/Four-of-the-best
- http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1642512,00.html (AYG in the making)
- http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1715345,00.html (This is the time, This is the moment)
- http://www.ayg2009.sg/page/TheGames/Gallery/0,,12804~1716378,00.html (This is the time, This is the moment)
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