Swimmer Ng Cheuk-yin smashes three Hong Kong records to qualify for World Championships
- Ng Cheuk-yin wins three events at Division 1 short course Time Trial, all in Hong Kong records
- Hayden Kwan set a Hong Kong best time in the men’s 200 metre backstroke with one minute and 55.07 seconds, eclipsing Ng’s previous best of 1:56.93
Ng Cheuk-yin hit the jackpot in the Division 1 short course Time Trial on Sunday, smashing three Hong Kong records at the Sports Institute and meeting the A qualification standard for December’s World Championships in Melbourne.
At the Fo Tan training complex, Ng first set a record in the men’s 50m backstroke when he clocked 23.68 seconds, smashing the previous best of 24.18 set by Geoffrey Cheah at the 2014 Fina World Cup in Hong Kong.
Fuelled by his success in the morning, the 19-year-old Ng added two records to his belt after the lunch break.
Firstly, the University of Georgia student broke Kenneth To King-him’s 100m butterfly record with a new time of 51.45 against To’s previous best of 51.73. Ng then set another record in the 100m backstroke where he won the race in 51.87. The previous best was also held by Cheah in 52.08 set also at the 2014 World Cup.
Both results have reached the B qualification standard for the World Championships.
Head coach Chen Jianhong said the youngster had made improvement after moving to the United States to continue his studies 18 months ago. Ng also made his maiden NCAA competition in the United States last year.
“Ng came back to Hong Kong for summer holidays giving us time to work with his skills and it paid off,” Chen said. “He has a strong physical power but there is still plenty of room for improvement if we can improve some details of his skills.