Teong Tzen Wei delivers first swimming medal for Singapore at Hangzhou Asian Games
HANGZHOU – On the penultimate day of the Asian Games swim meet, Singapore broke their duck as Teong Tzen Wei delivered a men’s 50m butterfly silver on Thursday.
At the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Park Aquatics Centre, the 25-year-old clocked 23.34 seconds to finish behind South Korean Baek In-chul (23.29sec) but ahead of Kazakstan’s Adilbek Mussin (23.44sec).
Following an outstanding 2022, in which he won the 50 fly silver at the Commonwealth Games and the 50m free and fly double at the SEA Games, Teong has endured a rough 2023 after he tore his elbow ligament at the short-course World Swimming Championships in December 2022.
His recovery involved platelet-rich plasma treatment and also patience as he worked hard to rediscover his form. At the Cambodia SEA Games, he was visibly upset after losing his sprint crowns.
The fighting spirit, however, never deserted him, as he cut a chirpier figure in China.
At this Asiad, he showed he was not done yet as he finished sixth in a season-best 22.26sec in the 50m free.
Singapore’s swimmers have captured medals at every Games since Joscelin Yeo’s women’s 100m fly bronze at Busan 2002.
At the last edition in 2018, Joseph Schooling won two golds in the 50m and 100m fly while Roanne Ho added a silver in the 50m breaststroke. There were also three bronze medals from the men’s 4x100m free, 4x200m free and women’s 4x100m medley teams.
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