Despite lowering the men's 100m breaststroke meet record twice at the Neo Garden Singapore National Swimming Championships yesterday, Lionel Khoo felt he could have done better.

The 20-year-old SEA Games relay gold medallist clocked 1min 3.15sec at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, eclipsing his 1:03.60 showing in the morning's heats.

Both times were better than the meet record of 1:03.87 which he set in 2012.

Second-placed Samuel Khoo (1:05.07) and Kenneth Lim (1:05.36) rounded off the podium.

However, Khoo told The Sunday Times that he had been aiming to eclipse Parker Lam's 1:02.65 national record, set six years ago.

He said: "I was actually hoping for something a bit faster but my turns and finish weren't very good so I guess I couldn't really expect much.

"It wasn't the best race, from what I feel on the (turns and finish), and I could also improve my stroke consistency."

National coach Sergio Lopez had hoped Khoo would make the Olympic B time of 1:02.69.

He said: "I thought he would do it here but it is what it is. I felt his performance was fine, I thought he would be a little faster.

'The problem is, he is trying too hard to go fast. He just needs to relax, forget about competition and keep training."

Khoo is set to participate in the 50m breaststroke at the July 24-Aug 9 Fina World Championships in Russia as well as the 4x100m medley relay - the event which he struck gold in at the SEA Games two weeks ago.

Yesterday also saw American breaststroke specialist Kevin Cordes - who is training with the Singapore Swimming Association's National Training Centre squad - make a splash, as he clocked 1:00.27 in the 100m breast B final.

Said the 21-year-old: "My swim went really well today.

"I'm going to just work with Sergio and the rest... we're learning every day and bouncing ideas off each other."