Singaporean swimmer Quah Zheng Wen is continuing his hot streak at international meets, as the 18-year old cranked out a new national record in Moscow. Competing at his sixth meet in nine months, Quah Zheng Wen nailed a 3rd place finish in the men’s 100m backstroke final on the first day of competition at the FINA World Cup.
Quah Zheng Wen had actually broken the record first in prelims by logging a swift time of 54.13 to take the top seed. That lowered his own time of 54.40 that stood as the Singaporean national record from the 100m backstroke heats at the FINA World Championships in Kazan just last week.
Today, Quah Zheng Wen then knocked off another tenth from his 54.13 prelims outing in Moscow to claim the bronze today in a time of 54.03. The time also dips beneath the Olympic “A” standard of 54.36, thus granting Quah Zheng Wen a spot in the event at Rio in 2016.
Head Coach of Singapore Swimming, Sergio Lopez, said of his athlete’s race, “Zheng Wen’s progress is all due to the hard work that he puts in. I am not shocked by what he has achieved because I know he has the potential to clock such times. I am very happy and he is definitely on the right track (for Rio).”
As reported in July, Quah Zheng Wen was granted a deferment from his country’s mandatory full-time two years military service duty due to his “exceptional circumstances” as an athlete capable of earning Olympic medals.
Good swim for SG 50 ！ Made us proud !