JOHOR BARU: Swimmer Phee Jinq En set a new national record in the women’s 50m breaststroke event en route to winning a historic gold medal for Malaysia in the Mare Nostrum Tour in Monaco on Sunday.
Jinq En broke her own national record of 31.80 set in July last year by posting 31.66 to finish ahead of Spain’s Marina Garcia Urzainqui (32.51) in the race under the Speed Tournament format.
The 19-year-old also topped the heats (31.83), last 16 (32.07), quarter-final (31.83) and semi-final (31.99) races.
Her achievement is a significant first for Malaysia in the prestigious tour.
Compatriot Welson Sim warmed up for the Rio Olympics with a bronze medal in the men’s 200m freestyle event.
He clocked 1:49.29 in the race won by German Paul Biedermann (1:46.71) while South African Chad Le Clos (1:49.28) took second position.
Welson finished sixth in the heats in 1:50.67.
On Saturday, Welson and Jinq En each won a silver medal in the men’s 400m freestyle and the women’s 100m breaststroke, respectively.
The swimmers will next compete in Canet-en-Roussillon in France on June 8-9.