Malaysia’s young rising star, Shannon Tan Yan Qing delivered a defining performance at the 11th Singapore National Swimming Championships (Short Course), rewriting two of Malaysia’s longest-standing swimming records and announcing her arrival as one of the most exciting talents in the country’s next swimming generation.
Across back-to-back days of competition, the 15-year old who represents Selangor Aquatics produced outstanding swims in both the 100m and 200m butterfly, eclipsing the 12-year-old national records set by Yap Siew Hui in 2013. In doing so, she also earned a bronze medal in the 100m and a gold medal in the 200m, completing a double victory of history and hardware.
Shannon opened her 100m butterfly in 28.41 seconds, a shade quicker than Yap’s old 28.66 seconds. For most young flyers, they will usually lose form in the back-end of the race. However, Shannon held her stroke together, and when she turned and began her return leg, the rhythm held. Her closing 50 metres in 32.21 seconds, didn’t crumble the way young swimmers sometimes do when lactic hits. She held her shape and finished in 1:00.72.
It didn’t just earn her a bronze, it quietly tucked away Yap Siew Hui’s old 1:01.31, a time that had lived in Malaysia’s record books since 2013.
In the 200m butterfly, Shannon approached the race almost like a conversation: pacing herself and listening to her body rythmn while adjusting to her tone with every lap. Her first 50 metres clocked 30.16 to set the rhythm. She reached 100 metres in 1:04.34, and by 150 metres, she was holding in together at 1:56.87. The pressure didn’t warp her technique. Instead, she seemd to lean into it, keeping her stroke long and her breathing unhurried. The final lap is where the fatigue usually appear but she didn’t crack.
She pushed through the last 50 metres and touched in 2:13.89, clearing the old record of 2:16.71 by a full 2.82 seconds. In swimming language, this is not just breaking a recond; it’s resetting the standard.
The double-record weekend is more than a peak moment- it is a preview of what Shannon Tan is capable of. With refined technique, improved pacing and competitive confidence, she is charting a path toward senior international competitiveness.
Malaysia will be watching proudly as her jouney continue to rise.
Congratulation, Shannon! Your wings have only just begun to spread.