TEONG'S RECORD A BOOST

Singapore swimmer regains Asian 50m fly mark, shaping up well for SEA Games

- David Lee Senior Sports Correspondent

Singapore's Teong Tzen Wei, who struggled in the first two legs of the World Cup, received a shot in the arm with his short-course Asian record of 21.93sec in the third leg in Toronto on Oct 25.

(ST FILE PHOTO)

On a night when five short-course world records fell on the last day of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Toronto, Singapore’s Teong Tzen Wei also shone with an Asian record in the men’s 50m butterfly final.

Getting off to a good start with the best reaction time of 0.58sec among eight finalists, the 28-year-old finished fourth in 21.93sec behind Canada’s Ilya Kharun (21.80), Swiss Noe Ponti (21.81) and another home favourite Josh Liendo (21.91) on Oct 25.

The previous Asian record of 21.96sec was set by China’s Sun Jiajun in September 2024.

Teong was a previous Asian record holder when he became the first Singaporean to qualify for the final of the short-course world championships with a timing of 22.01sec in 2022.

He improved his national record to 21.97sec in the next edition in 2024.

After his latest mark at the last of the World Cup’s three stops, Teong has set his sights on the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand.