A record to build on

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Malaysia’s men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team set a new national record of 7:18.79 seconds at the Asian Games, finishing fifth in the final. This marks the country’s first swimming national record at the Asian Games and signals ongoing progress under coach Michael Kinross, though the team acknowledges there is room for further improvement.

Malaysia’s men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team set a new national record at the Asian Games held at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, underscoring steady progress in the country’s swimming program. The quartet, led by Khiew Hoe Yean, recorded a time of 7:18.79 seconds to finish fifth in the final, breaking the previous national record of 7:19.50 seconds established at the Thailand SEA Games last year.

Hoe Yean contributed significantly with a split of 1:48.73, while teammates Arvin Shaun Singh, Ananda Lim Yin Chuen, and Jayden Tan Khai Xin each played key roles in lowering the benchmark. The achievement marks Malaysia’s first national record at the Asian Games in swimming.

Despite the strong performance, coach Michael Kinross, who took charge in May, emphasized that the team has more to accomplish. “Breaking this record was a goal from the very beginning,” Kinross said, noting the progress made in his first four-and-a-half months. He cautioned against complacency, indicating that there are further targets to pursue during the competition and beyond.

The relay final saw Vietnam narrowly surpass Malaysia in the closing stages, finishing fourth with a time of 7:18.09 seconds. The event was led by China, which clinched gold with an Asian record of 7:00.17 seconds, powered by Olympic champion Pan Zhanle. Japan secured silver in 7:01.05, while South Korea, the defending champion from three years ago, earned bronze in 7:06.76 seconds.

Earlier in the heats, the Malaysian team qualified for the final by placing third in Heat 2 with a time of 7:22.05 seconds, trailing Japan (7:13.02) and China (7:11.70).

Individually, Malaysia faced challenges in other events. National record holder Andrew Goh was unable to advance to the men’s 100m breaststroke final after finishing seventh in his heat with a time of 1:03.50 seconds, placing 23rd overall. Goh’s personal best and national record stands at 1:01.39, set at the Malaysia Games in Sarawak two years ago.

In the men’s 50m freestyle, Malaysia did not advance to the final. Ananda Lim finished seventh in Heat 3 with a time of 23.16 seconds. Meanwhile, national record holder Tong Yu Jing was absent from the heats due to illness.

The performances highlight both promising developments and areas for improvement as Malaysia aims to build on its recent achievements in international swimming competitions.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.