Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur’s golden boy ace battles fatigue, banks triple gold haul on his toughest night yet
For most, Day 3 was a test of skill. For Khiew Hoe Yean, it was a test of limits. The 23-year-old Kuala Lumpur swimmer left the pool with three more golds — in the 400m freestyle, 200m backstroke, and the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay — bringing his tally to six titles and solidifying his status as the most commanding athlete of the meet.
“I Was Half Alive” – A Gruelling Back-to-Back Swim
Hoe Yean opened his evening in the 400m freestyle, a race that has long been a cornerstone of his program. Swimming from lane five, he set the pace early and never relinquished control. His splits were evenly distributed, with a final time of 3:52.55 — nearly three seconds clear of his nearest competitor and well within the SEA Games A benchmark.
His teammate, Muhammad Dhuha Zulfikry finished second in 3:55.96, completing a 1–2 sweep for Kuala Lumpur.
But that was only the first punch.
Just minutes later, he was back on the blocks for the 200m backstroke — barely 10 minutes to catch his breath, reset, and race again.
“The third day was really, really hard,” he said. “I knew it was coming — 400 free and 200 back, back-to-back. Ten to fifteen minutes of rest in between. That’s why I didn’t swim any relays on Day 1 or 2. I knew if I did, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
He didn’t come close to his personal best of 2:00.80 in the backstroke. But he still won — finishing in 2:04.21, good enough for gold.
“Of course, it’s not my best time. But to do that on ten minutes of rest? I think that’s quite impressive, honestly. If I’d come in fresh, I believe I could’ve gone close to 2:01,” he added.
“But I’m glad. I took it as a challenge. I like to challenge my own body — and my own mental.”
What stood out was the control — even in an event not often associated with explosive finishes, Hoe Yean maintained full command, holding off a late charge from Sarawak’s Hii Puong Wei (2:06.99) and Selangor’s Daniel Williams (2:07.46).
There were no theatrics. Just execution.
Another Relay, Another Meet Record
The final act of the night saw Hoe Yean anchored the Kuala Lumpur 4x200m freestyle relay team — and they didn’t just win, they rewrote the meet record that was long standing since 2018.
The quartet of Jayden Tan, Muhammad Dhuha Zulfikry, Teo Zun Jet, and Khiew Hoe Yean combined for a time of 7:32.38, smashing the previous meet record of 7:40.62 set by Hong Kong in 2018.
SPLIT COMPARISON
Jayden Tan opened with a 1:51.77 leadoff, setting the tone and gaining 3.85 seconds from the 2018 record time by Hong Kong’s Jeremy Wong. His pacing gave Kuala Lumpur early clean water and control. On the second leg, Muhammad Dhuha Zulfikry clocking unleashed another monstrous split— 1:51.35, extending the gap from Selangor’s Goh Li Hen to more than 6 seconds with surgical precision.
Teo Zun Jet held steady on the third leg with 1:56.91, but ensuring there was no momentum loss. Then came Hoe Yean anchoring the team with his split of 1:52.35 to clinch another gold for his team and #6 personally.
Selangor finished second in 7:37.83, followed by Hong Kong in 7:43.06.
AROUND THE POOL DECK- DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS
Women’s 400m Freestyle
🥇 Tan Rui Nee (PENANG) – 4:33.71
🥈 Serenna Karmelita Muslim (INA) – 4:33.72
🥉 Chu Xin Ying (SABAH) – 4:37.72
A swim-off in all but name — this was the tightest finish of the night. Fourteen-year-old Tan Rui Nee trailed through the first 300 meters, but reeled in Serenna Karmelita Muslim stroke by stroke in the final 50, out-touching the Indonesian by just 0.01 seconds. Tan’s split discipline and steady descent through the back half of the race showed maturity well beyond her age. Chu Xin Ying of Sabah, steady throughout, rounded off the podium.
Women’s 200m Backstroke
🥇 Adelia Chantika Aulia (INA) – 2:17.64
🥈 Chong Xin Lin (KUALA LUMPUR) – 2:23.12
🥉 Vivian Tee Xin Ling (PENANG) – 2:26.57
Indonesia’s Adelia Chantika, just 14, led from wire to wire with mature stroke rhythm and underwater work, qualifying for SEA Games in the process. She built a commanding lead by the 150m mark and never looked back. Kuala Lumpur’s Chong Xin Lin once again has to settle with silver after her 100m backstroke silver on the opening night. Xing Lin did well to hold on to second, while Penang’s Vivian Tee edged her namesake for third.
Women’s 100m Butterfly
🥇 Nicholle Toh (SGP) – 1:00.61
🥈 Michelle Surjadi Fang (INA) – 1:01.72
🥉 Megan Ho (KUL) – 1:03.37
Singapore’s Nicholle Toh was in a class of her own, taking the race out in 28.12 and never relinquishing the lead. She finished just shy of the 1:00 barrier but sent a clear message that she’s SEA-ready. Indonesia’s Michelle Surjadi closed well for silver. The breakout came from 15-year-old Megan Ho, who swam a composed back half to grab third — a valuable learning curve against more experienced swimmers.
Men’s 100m Butterfly
🥇 Joe Aditya Wijaya Kurniawan (INA) – 53.83
🥈 Surasit Thongdeang (THA) – 53.84
🥉Chan Jie (SELANGOR) – 54.52
A razor-thin battle saw Indonesia edge Thailand by just 0.01 seconds. Surasit went out hard in the first 50, clocking 25.15, but it was Joe Kurniawan’s final stroke that made the difference. Selangor’s veteran Jie Chan, held off a deep domestic field to claim bronze.
Women’s 50m Breaststroke
🥇 Man Wui Kiu (HKG) – 32.10
🥈 Claire Cheung Wing Yi (HKG) – 32.17
🥉 Phee Jinq En (SELANGOR) – 32.31
The teenage wave from Hong Kong swept the top two spots. Man Wui Kiu led from the start with an aggressive first 25 and just held off her teammate Claire Cheung. Selangor’s Phee Jinq En — the national record holder — fought back in the second half but settled for bronze.
Men’s 50m Breaststroke
🥇 Felix Viktor Iberle (INA) – 27.52 (New Meet Record)
🥈 Tsui Yik Ki (HKG) – 27.96
🥉 Joseph Chan Kai Xiang (MELAKA) – 29.02
Indonesia’s Felix Iberle was the standout in a sprint final packed with tension. After just missing the meet record in prelims, he made no mistake in the final, lowering the mark to 27.52, cementing himself as the region’s fastest breaststroke sprinter this season. Hong Kong’s Yik Ki was close at the turn but faded slightly. Malacca’s Joseph Chan bring home bronze with 29.02.
Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
🥇 SELANGOR – 8:58.08
🥈 PENANG – 9:04.92
🥉 KUALA LUMPUR – 9:11.33
Selangor emerged victorious in the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay, clocking 8:58.08 to edge out Penang in a well-paced final leg battle. Their quartet—Khew Zi Xian (17), Eunice Pua Jia Hui (17), Morgan Eleven Teo (18), and Shannon Tan Yan Qing (15)—held a steady lead throughout, with anchor Shannon Tan sealing the deal in style despite mounting pressure from Penang’s closer.
Penang featuring a young but composed squad led by 14-year-old Tan Rui Nee second in 9:04.92. They closed the gap in the third leg through Lee Yen Ern, but Selangor’s stronger transitions and final kick gave them the win. Kuala Lumpur finished third with 9:11.33.
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For full result from Day 3 of MILO/MAS Malaysia Open Swimming Championships: