NATIONAL swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean secured his spot in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the 2025 World University Games (WUG) in Berlin, marking a strong comeback after an early exit in the previous edition.
Competing in Heat 5, Hoe Yean finished third with a time of 3 minutes 50.13 seconds, trailing American Ryan James Erisman Jr (3:48.81s) and Individual Neutral Athlete Nikolai Kolesnikov (3:48.75s).
His performance placed him among the top four qualifiers, alongside Brazil’s Eduardo Oliveira De Moraes, who topped Heat 4 with 3:48.84s.
The 22-year-old, who holds the national 400m freestyle record, will race in the final on Thursday night (early Friday morning Malaysian time).
Malaysia last won a swimming medal at WUG in 1991, when Jeffrey Ong claimed silver in the 1,500m freestyle.
In taekwondo, national poomsae athletes Chin Ken Haw and Yow Mei Yee were eliminated in the Round of 16 at Messe Essen. The 2025 WUG, featuring 19 sports and 234 gold medals, runs until July 27. – Bernama
