Bukit Jalil turned electric on Thursday night, 23 April 2025 as the country’s top swimmers, seasoned competitors, and rising teenage talents took over the National Aquatic Centre, with strobes of spray, streaks of speed, and each chasing more than just medals.
This year’s meet isn’t just a domestic showdown. It doubles as a qualifying platform for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the SEA Games in Thailand, and the World Junior Championships – every race mattered, and every touch at the wall carried a dream.
On the blocks were household names — Khiew Hoe Yean, Muhammad Dhuha, Chong Xin Lin, and Kelly Teo, alongside a wave of up-and-coming juniors ready to disrupt the script.
The stakes were real. The water was alive. And by the time the opening finals wrapped up, the message was clear: they aren’t just chasing times, they’re rewriting their own limits.
Khiew Hoe Yean’s Double Golds — Building Form, Setting the Pace
Fresh off completing his finals university exams, Khiew Hoe Yean walked into the pool deck not just to race- but to reset. What followed was a calm, calculated display of control as the 22-year-old swept back-to-back gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke, two events outside his usual mid-distance territory.
In the 100m freestyle, Hoe Yean representing Kuala Lumpur, surged in the final 25 metres to out-touch fellow national teammate and Penang’s Lim Yin Chuen, touching the wall first to win gold medal with 50.00s. Yin Chuen, who led through the first half of the race, clocked 50.36s, securing both the silver medal and a SEA Games B qualifying time. Rounding out the podium was Thailand’s Surasit Thongdaeng, who claimed bronze in 50.82s.
Barely catching his breath, Hoe Yean was back behind the blocks. Less than an hour after his freestyle win, he dove in again for the 100m backstroke- this time from Lane 2. Yet, despite the outside lane, he looked remarkably unshaken by the quick turnaround. Smooth underwaters, clean turns, and a powerful final 15 meters saw him finish in 56.41s, a personal best and well under the SEA Games B-cut of 57.20s.
He finished 1.34 seconds ahead of Selangor’s Daniel Williams (57.75) and 2.00 seconds clear of Sarawak’s Hii Puong Wei (58.41) — a commanding margin in a sprint event, and a mark of his control and form across strokes.
“I’m happy to get PB in this event” said Hoe Yean after the race, his tone was light, but his execution anything but.
”It’s been a while since we’ve had a major local competition. These sprint events were a good away to get back into racing mode and build momentum for the rest of the meet”
He may be known for his 200m and 400m freestyle dominance, but Day 1 proved something else: give him a lane, and he’ll give you a win — no matter the stroke, no matter the distance.
FINALS RECAP- WHO MADE A SPLASH
Women’s 100m Freestyle
Nicholle Toh of Singapore stormed to victory with a powerful finish, clocking 57.73s — achieving the SEA Games B qualifying mark. She held off Indonesia’s Serenna Karmelita (58.92s), while Malacca’s Lynna Yeow Yi Jing claimed bronze in 59.05s.
🥇Nicolle Toh (SGP) – 57.73
🥈 Serenna Karmelita (INA) – 58.92
🥉 Lynna Yeow Yi Jing (MALACCA) – 59.05
Women’s 200m Breaststroke
Lam Hoi Kiu of Hong Kong delivered a composed and confident swim to take gold in 2:33.33, achieving the SEA Games B qualifying time. Teammate Cheung Wing Yi, Claire followed in 2:36.36 to secure silver, while Selangor’s Khoo Sue Enn earned bronze in 2:38.22 — her time meeting the World Junior A cut.
🥇 Lam Hoi Kiu (HKG) – 2:33.33
🥈 Cheung Wing Yi, Claire (HKG) – 2:36.36
🥉 Khoo Sue Enn (SELANGOR) – 2:38.22
Men’s 200m Breaststroke
Lo Tsz Lam of Hong Kong delivered a strong performance to win in 2:17.18 — a SEA Games B cut — ahead of Kuala Lumpur’s Cham Yuxiang (2:18.71), whose punched a ticket to World Junior Championships.
🥇 Lo Tsz Lam (HKG) – 2:17.18
🥈 Cham Yuxiang (KUALA LUMPUR) – 2:18.71
🥉 Joseph Chan Kai Xiang (MALACCA) – 2:19.10
Women’s 100m Backstroke
Chong Xin Lin dove into the 100m backstroke with focus and purpose. The 18-year-old from Kuala Lumpur clocked 1:04.29, finishing second behind Indonesia’s Adelia Chantika Aulia (1:03.49). The performance not only earned her the silver medal, but also cleared the SEA Games B qualifying time.
But for Xin Lin, the stopwatch told only part of the story.
“It’s a bit disappointing because I didn’t manage to break the national record, which was my main goal,” she admitted.
“My target was 1:03.00 — that’s what I had been working towards.”
The Malaysian national record of 1:03.91, held by Chui Lai Kwan since 2009, remains out of reach — for now. Still, Xin Lin chose to focus on the positives.
“But I’m still happy to be back after finishing SPM, and I just wanted to hit a new personal best.”
Though the record chase will continue, Day 1 was proof that Chong Xin Lin isn’t just back — she’s building momentum, with her eyes firmly set on international waters ahead.
🥇 Adelia Chantika Aulia (INA) – 1:03.49
🥈 Chong Xin Lin (KUALA LUMPUR) – 1:04.29
🥉 Flairence Candrea W (INA) – 1:04.47
Women’s 50m Butterfly
Nicholle Toh picked up another gold with 27.64s, securing a SEA Games B cut, while Indonesia’s Michelle Surjadi Fang clocked a World Junior A cut of 27.92. Kuala Lumpur’s Megan Ho took bronze with 28.01.
🥇 Nicholle Toh (SGP) – 27.64
🥈 Michelle Surjadi Fang (INA) – 27.92
🥉 Megan Ho (KUALA LUMPUR) – 28.01
Men’s 50m Butterfly
Motohide Mori took top honours in 24.42s, just ahead of Indonesian Olympian Joe Aditya Wijaya Kurniawan (24.53). Malaysia’s Chan Jie claimed bronze in 24.60s, rounding out one of the night’s most explosive finals.
🥇 Motohide Mori (CLB) – 24.42
🥈 Joe Aditya Wijaya (INA) – 24.53
🥉 Chan Jie (SELANGOR) – 24.60
Women’s 800m Freestyle
The upset of the night came from 14-year-old Tan Rui Nee, who took down SUKMA’s reigning distance queen Kelly Teo Yao in a sensational 800m freestyle performance.
Swimming with patience and tactical precision, Rui Nee kept herself within striking distance for most of the race. Then came Turn 7 — the moment everything changed. She shifted gears, surged ahead of Kelly, and never looked back. The Penang teenager powered through the final stretch to stop the clock at 9:26.48, taking gold.
Teo, who entered the meet as the favourite with six SUKMA titles to her name, settled for silver in 9:35.86, while Chun Xin Ying touched in 9:43.64 to complete the podium.
🥇 Tan Rui Nee (PENANG) – 9:26.48
🥈 Kelly Teo (SARAWAK) – 9:35.86
🥉 Chun Xin Ying (SABAH) – 9:43.64
Men’s 1500m Freestyle
Wang Yi Shun of Hong Kong led from wire to wire, stopping the clock at 15:58.60. He was followed by teammate So Kwun Wo (16:30.13), while KL’s Adam Malik Azizur Riza took bronze with 16:47.39.
🥇 Wang Yi Shun (HKG) – 15:58.60
🥈 So Kwun Wo (HKG) – 16:30.13
🥉 Adam Malik Azizur Riza (KUALA LUMPUR) – 16:47.39
4x100m Mixed Medley Relay
The Kuala Lumpur quartet of Chong Xin Lin, Cham Yu Xiang, Muhammad Dhuha Zulfikry, and Lee Wei Wen wrapped up the night with a blazing win in the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay, rewriting their own meet record from 2024 with a time of 4:05.01 — a massive 3.07-second drop from their previous mark.
It was a well-executed, well-balanced relay where each swimmer knew exactly what their job was — and nailed it.
Chong Xin Lin got things started with a composed backstroke leg. While not the quickest opener in the field, she stayed right in the mix and gave her team a stable platform. Cham Yu Xiang took over on breaststroke and clawed back serious ground with a strong second 50, making up valuable time and setting the tone for the next half of the race.
Then came the burst of speed: Muhammad Dhuha who blasted through the butterfly leg with controlled aggression, surging KL into the lead by the final exchange. He handed over to Wei Wen Lee, and she anchored the team with a precision swim — holding off Selangor’s George Tze Xiang Ng and Hong Kong’s Qi Hong Cai with a calm, confident freestyle close.
Behind them, Selangor put up a strong fight to take silver in 4:08.98, just under a second back. Daniel Williams opened fast with a sub-1:00 backstroke, and the team hung tight through all four legs, with Khew Zi Xian closing with poise. They’ll walk away proud — they didn’t lose the race, KL won it outright.
Hong Kong claimed bronze in 4:10.68, thanks to a gutsy effort from Wui Kiu Man and a massive anchor leg by Qi Hong Cai, who nearly reeled in Selangor in the final 50 meters.
🥇 Kuala Lumpur – 4:05.01 (New Meet Record)
🥈 Selangor – 4:08.98
🥉 Hong Kong – 4:10.68
SHARE
For full result from Day 1 of MILO/MAS Malaysia Open Swimming Championships: