Swimmer Arvin tops heat six but still misses out on semis

Sunday, 31 Jul 2022 11:44 PM MYT

BIRMINGHAM, July 31 — Young Malaysian swimmer Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal won Heat Six of the men’s 100-metre (m) freestyle event but it still wasn’t enough for him to qualify for the semi-finals.

Arvin clocked 50.84 seconds (s) to emerge as the fastest swimmer in the sixth heat held at the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre here today but it was only good for a 21st spot overall.

National rising star Khiew Hoe Yean also came up short in his attempt to check into the semi-finals after finishing Heat Seven in fourth place by clocking 50.47s.

That placed Hoe Yean in 18th spot overall.

Only the best 16 swimmers from the nine heats advance to the semi-finals.

The times clocked by both swimmers in the event were also far from the national record of 49.54s that Welson Sim set in the 2019 Malaysia Open Championships in Sarawak.

Hoe Yean, who finished sixth in the eight-man final of the 400m freestyle on Friday (July 29), will be back in action in men’s 200m backstroke on Tuesday (Aug 2) while Arvin will try his luck in the men’s 200m individual medley on Wednesday (Aug 3).