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All in the family

SINGAPORE — With the SEA Games returning to these shores after a 22-year absence, representing the nation has taken added significance, what with the Games designated as part of the SG50 celebrations.

Both Quah Zheng Wen (picture) and Ting Wen went under the 2015 SEA Games qualifying times for a second time at the ongoing 10th Yakult Singapore National Swimming Championships. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

Both Quah Zheng Wen (picture) and Ting Wen went under the 2015 SEA Games qualifying times for a second time at the ongoing 10th Yakult Singapore National Swimming Championships. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

SINGAPORE — With the SEA Games returning to these shores after a 22-year absence, representing the nation has taken added significance, what with the Games designated as part of the SG50 celebrations.

At the ongoing 10th Yakult Singapore National Swimming Championships (SNSC), two families are hoping that come next June, they will have more than one family member to cheer for.

Not that the Lim and Quah siblings are sparing any effort egging one another on in their respective events on Day 3 of the championships yesterday at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

The Lims — Shana and Darren — and the Quahs — Ting Wen, Zheng Wen and Jing Wen — could all feature for Singapore at the Games.

Having graduated from the University of Arkansas in May, 21-year-old Shana wants to finally compete at the biennial Games alongside her brother, a dream put on hold last year by a right shoulder injury that needed surgery.

Going under the knife last July meant she was a spectator when Darren made his debut in the Myanmar Games. Shana made her return to competitive racing at the Singapore National Short Course Championship this August.

Yesterday, Shana, who holds the national women’s 50m backstroke record of 28.58s, won her pet event in 29.85.

But more importantly, she swam under the 2015 SEA Games qualifying mark of 29.96 to bolster her bid for a return to the Games.

“It means a lot to me (to qualify),” said Shana after her swim.

“I want to swim with my brother at the SEA Games. My brother looks up to me and I told him I will keep swimming until I make the SEA Games with him. It motivates me each day to get up in the morning to swim.”

For Shana, the fear of the injury recurring means the 50m backstroke is the only event she is attempting to qualify for, having won gold at the 2011 Palembang Games with a SEA Games record of 29.37 that still stands.

“I am just going to swim one lap, make it fast, and that’s it,” she said.

As for Darren, after setting a new national Under-17 record for the 100m freestyle on Wednesday, he missed out on the 50m freestyle after clocking 23.58, outside the qualifying standard of 23.41.

Darren will have two more opportunities to hit the qualifying mark — at February’s time trials and the Singapore National Age Group Championships in March.

For the Quah trio, 22-year-old Ting Wen’s return in June after five years at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been a real booster. The siblings have always been tight-knit and constantly spur each other on, said 18-year-old Zheng Wen.

Yesterday, both Zheng Wen and Ting Wen went under the 2015 SEA Games qualifying times for a second time at this meet — in the men’s 200m backstroke and women’s 100m freestyle, respectively.

Youngest sibling Jing Wen, 14, has yet to clock a SEA Games qualifying time. “We have a lot of camaraderie and push each other on a lot in swimming,” added Zheng Wen. “We do not give Jing Wen any stress at all as she is swimming well and the best way for her to enjoy swimming is to develop at her own pace.”

Swimmers who went under 2015 SEA Games qualifying entry times (QET) yesterday:

Women’s 50m backstroke: Shana Lim (29.85) (QET: 29.96)

Women’s 100m freestyle: Quah Ting Wen (56.38), Amanda Lim (56.51) (QET: 56.63)

Men’s 200m backstroke: Quah Zheng Wen (2:05.05), Malcolm Low (2:05.30) (QET: 2:05.38)

Men’s 200m butterfly: Dylan Koo (2:02.95) (QET: 2:04.20)

FAST FACT

Former S’pore national swimmers who are siblings:

- Leonard, Gerard and Joscelin Yeo

- Oon Jin Teik and Jin Gee

- Desmond and Gerald Koh

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