SEA Games 2025: Quah Ting Wen wins 63rd medal to become Games’ most bemedalled athlete
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Quah Ting Wen (left) took the gold in the women's 100m butterfly while her sister Jing Wen finished with the silver, on Dec 13.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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- Quah Ting Wen won gold in the 100m butterfly, surpassing Joscelin Yeo to become the SEA Games' most medalled athlete with 63 medals.
- Ting Wen's victory was especially emotional as she competed against her sister Jing Wen, who finished a close second, just 0.01 seconds behind.
- Despite the bittersweet win, Ting Wen aims to add to her gold tally, while Zheng Wen and Letitia Sim also secured gold medals for Singapore.
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BANGKOK – After missing out on gold in two events over the last three days, a milestone arrived in stunning fashion for Singapore swimmer Quah Ting Wen, who had to come from behind in the women’s 100m butterfly to beat her younger sister Jing Wen to gold.
The victory took Ting Wen’s overall medal tally at the SEA Games to 63, surpassing former teammate Joscelin Yeo’s 62 to become the Games’ most bemedalled athlete of all time.
The 33-year-old now has 35 golds, 22 silvers and six bronzes.
Though she was one of two Best Athletes at the 2023 Cambodia Games after pocketing six golds and two silvers, she has faced stiff competition this time with the Philippines’ recruitment of Filipino-Canadian Olympic medallist Kayla Sanchez.
Ting Wen told The Sunday Times: “It’s quite nice to have the 63rd medal be a gold medal. This race is very special to me because I get to swim with my sister.
“It’s very layered. There’s that desire to win, as I haven’t won a gold medal at this meet yet. There’s the desire to break the medals record and there’s also the desire to see my sister succeed.
“Having all of that come together, it makes this event quite emotional for me.
“I’m very proud of my win, I’m very happy that the 63rd medal is a gold medal, and I hope people at home are proud of us at the same time.”
With a reaction time of 0.62sec, Ting Wen leapt into the Huamark Aquatic Centre pool a split second ahead of her sister, which would ultimately prove crucial. Jing Wen, 24, the defending champion, made the turn in 27.45, with Ting Wen 0.24sec behind.
But the older sister summoned all her reserves and experience to reel in the leader and touch the wall first in 59.76sec – just a fraction ahead of Jing Wen (59.77) – in front of more than 100 wildly cheering Team Nila volunteers for only her second win in this event.
Thailand’s Jaritkla Napatsawan was third in 1:01.57.
Sharing that it was a bittersweet moment, Ting Wen said: “I really wanted it for my sister also. So this one makes a lot of mixed feelings, happiness, joy, pride, pain and almost a tinge of regret.
“I was trying to think of the best-case scenario... maybe it would be great if we touched the wall at the same time and we would have two golds for Singapore.
“It was almost there, but I’m still very proud of my sister, and I’m thankful that she was there next to me doing this.”
Former Singapore swim queen Yeo, who was gracious despite seeing one of her long-standing records fall, led the tributes.
The 46-year-old, who still holds the record of most SEA Games golds with 40 from 1991 to 2005, along with 15 silvers and seven bronzes, said: “I always believe records are meant to be surpassed.
“It’s nice to be a part of history, but I want to see the Singapore swimming team keep pushing the possibilities of success.
“If this is an indication that they are moving in the right direction, that’s great. I wish her and Singapore swimming the very best at these SEA Games.”
Asked if she is gunning for Yeo’s record of 40 golds next, Ting Wen said: “I don’t think I will have the opportunity to break it at this edition, but I will try my best to bring it closer to hers and then who knows.
“We’ll talk later, but maybe I might see everyone in Singapore in four years.”
A teary Jing Wen said: “It feels terrible to feel bad for losing, because I know I’m happy and I should be because it’s my sister winning. But as an athlete, it always hurts to lose.
“My sister has always been one of the most selfless athletes I’ve known. I remember her very clearly saying she almost doesn’t care who wins (in this event) because it’s either me or her.”
It turned out to be a happy day for the Quah siblings, with Zheng Wen, 29, retaining his men’s 100m butterfly gold in 52.25 ahead of Indonesia’s Joe Kurniawan (53.14) and Surasit Thongdeang (53.32).
He said of Ting Wen: “I’m very happy for her. She has been a staple on our team for a long time and this is a great milestone for her, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Compatriot Letitia Sim then stayed on course for her maiden breaststroke sweep when she made it three consecutive 100m titles in a Games record of 1:06.79, way in front of Malaysia’s Phee Jinq En (1:10.09) and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Hien (1:10.40).
The 22-year-old, who has already won the 50m and 200m individual medley finals here, said: “It will be cool to do it for the first time.
“I’m trying my best not to expect anything and control what I can during the race, go out hard and finish as strong as possible because I know it’s going to hurt coming back in the 200m.”
Sanchez won her third gold in her Games bow, finishing the women’s 100m back final in 1:02.35 ahead of Thailand’s Mia Millar (1:02.52) and Indonesia’s Flairene Candrea (1:02.60).
Singapore also did not make the podium in the men’s 200m freestyle, which saw Malaysia’s Khiew Hoe Yean seal a three-peat in 1:48.64, in front of Vietnam’s Tran Van Nguyen Quoc (1:48.70) and Malaysian Arvin Chahal (1:50.43).
Home favourite Kamonchanok Kwanmuang raised the roof when she claimed her third successive women’s 400m individual medley crown in 4:46.30, with Vietnam’s Vo Thi My Tien (4:47.39) second and Thai Jinjutha Pholjamjumrus third (4:47.62).
