Swimmer Jonathan Tan shatters records at SEA Games 2023 and qualifies for Olympics

PHNOM PENH — Jonathan Tan learns fast. Almost as fast as he swims. In 2021, he missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics by 0.1sec. Twelve months ago, he lost in both the 50m and 100m freestyle finals at the Hanoi SEA Games, finishing second to teammates Teong Tzen Wei and Quah Zheng Wen.

On Saturday (May 6), Tan edged out Quah in the 100m and, a day later, not only beat Teong but also met the Olympics' qualifying mark twice.

Tan, 21, clocked 21.91 in the morning heats — inside the A 21.96 needed for Paris 2024 — and also claimed the SEA Games and Singapore records in the process.

He was marginally slower in the evening's final but his 21.95 was still enough to win, ahead of his more illustrious teammate Teong (22.50) and Vietnam's Jeremie Luong (22.84).

Getting the better of Quah, 26, and Teong, 25, was never his motivation, said Tan, who is the first man to achieve the 50m and 100m free double since Joseph Schooling at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.

"Every race is just against myself," he noted.

"I try not to think about anybody beside me and give it my all. Missing Tokyo was tough, so getting to the next one was definitely a goal. It's a great achievement. I can see progress in myself, this is a dream come true."

To put his feat at Phnom Penh's Morodok Techo Aquatics Centre into context, it is the second-fastest time by an Asian in 2023, after Hong Kong's Ian Yentou Ho's 21.86 effort at a local meet in April.

In fact, only Japan's Shinri Shioura (21.67 is the continent's record), Katsumi Nakamura, China's Yu Hexin and Ho have posted faster times.

Tan is just the second Singaporean to post a sub-22sec effort. Teong was the first, swimming 21.93 en route to winning gold at the 2022 Hanoi Games. No wonder Singapore swimming head coach Gary Tan was effusive in his praise of the 1.75m rising star.

"Johnny saw he needed to get better, fix certain things in his training. Size does matter but, if you have the work ethic that Johnny brings to the table, that fighting spirit, never throwing away an opportunity to race well, that's something different about him," said the coach.

His charges added two more golds on the night, bringing their haul in Cambodia to seven.

Gan Ching Hwee triumphed in the women's 200m free in 2min 01.76sec, summoning her all to hold off a fast-charging Thai Kamonchanok Kwanmuang (2:02.21) and compatriot Chan Zi Yi (2:02.94).

Gan, who studies at Indiana University in the United States, said: "I'm still dealing with jet lag. This morning was kind of rough but I told myself to stay calm, confident and that I've put in all the work this season.

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"I really enjoy racing, and having the Thai girl so close gave me that extra push."

Fellow Singaporean Letitia Sim also lacked nothing in terms of motivation, after she failed to retain her 50m breaststroke crown on Saturday.

She prevailed in the 200m individual medley, touching the wall in 2:14.49 for a national record, with Kamonchanok (2:16.16) second. Compatriot and defending champion Quah Jing Wen was third in 2:16.39.

Sim said: "I just closed my eyes for the freestyle and hoped for the best.

"After losing the 50m breaststroke, I talked to the coaches and they said I looked too relaxed. I needed to tune up my mindset.

"So I tried that today. I knew I had to go hard but maintain the balance of staying fun."

ALSO READ: Is it over for Joseph Schooling? Retirement a 'good option' for him, say former swimmers Tao Li, David Lim

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.