Four records drown at the National Aquatic Centre

KUALA LUMPUR: Fans and swimmers had a splashing time as four SEA Games records drowned at the pool in the National Aquatic Centre as the SEA Games swimming competition kicked off in spectacular fashion today.
As expected Malaysian swimming sensation Welson Sim, Singapore's Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling, Indonesia's Gede Siman and Vietnam's darling of the pool Nguyen Thi Anh Vien lived up to expectations by splashing their way to four new SEA Games records.
Welson Sim, 20, splashed his way to the men's 400m freestyle gold medal en route to setting a new Games Record with a time of 3:50.26s that bettered his own mark of 3:53.97s which was set during the 2015 Singapore SEA Games.
Though Welson Sim was satisfied with his performance and achievement today, he believed the time would have been even better if there was stiff competition in the last 100m or 200m.
"This was a fantastic swim. I went out faster than I normally do and maybe I was nervous at first but I managed to get the gold. This is already my best (time). As I said I was a bit nervous.
"Maybe I can go faster if I have someone to race with me in the last 100m or 200m, someone to phase with, it would have been better," said Welson Sim who had upset 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist Mack Horton from Australia at the Mare Nostrum Tour in Monaco to win the gold medal in the same event with a new National record of 3:49.48s in June.
Welson Sim will next compete in the men's 4x100m freestyle before competing in the 200m Freestyle on Wednesday.
In the men's 50m Backstroke, Indonesia's Gede Siman Sudartawa clocked 25.20s to win the gold and smash the old Games Record of 25.27s set by Singapore's Quah Zheng Wen in 2015 while Thi Anh erased the women's 100m Backstroke with a time of 1:01.89s.
The old record of 1:02.11 was held by Tao Li from Singapore since the 2011 edition in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Singapore's wonder boy, Schooling met the pre-race prediction by recording a new SEA Games record of 23.06s in the men's 50m butterfly to clinch his country's first gold medal in swimming and erasing the old mark of 23.49s.
"I am happy with the result. I could not have asked for a better start and hopefully I can get better throughout the meet. I feel good and happy to be back in Malaysia and have a huge team supporting me," said the 22-year-old Rio Olympics gold medallist.
Schooling would also be competing in the men's 4x100m freestyle tomorrow.
Schooling was initially reported to be competing in the 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama