PARIS: National swimming ace Khiew Hoe Yean’s quest to shatter his own national record in the men’s 400 metres (m) freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games fell short today.
Racing in the second heat at the Paris La Defense Arena, Hoe Yean who is an Olympic debutant who started in lane four, fought bravely but ultimately finished fourth with a time of 3 minutes and 51.66 seconds.
Estonia’s Kregor Zirk dominated the heat with a time of 3:49.59s, while Chile’s Eduardo Cisternas clocked in at 3:51.29s for second place and Uzbekistan’s Ilya Sibirtsev captured third spot with a 3:51.52s finish.
Despite his commendable effort, Hoe Yean’s time didn’t secure him a spot among the top eight swimmers to advance to the final, schedule tomorrow.
The national record set by Hoe Yean in Australia last April still stands at 3:48.36s.
As the nation holds its breath, all eyes now turn to national women’s swimmer Rouxin Tan as she is set to make her Olympic debut in the 100m breaststroke event tomorrow.
Both Hoe Yean and Rouxin earned their spots in Paris 2024 as wildcard entries.
