GOLD COAST: Many thought Lim Keng Liat's 50m backstroke national record would not be broken for another decade but Tern Jian Han proved critics wrong by smashing it at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
Signs were already there that Jian Han would break Keng Liat's timing of 25.67s, which won the Sabahan a silver medal at the 2002 Manchester edition, when the 23-year-old clocked 25.83 in the morning heats to qualify for the semi-finals.
And in the second semi-final, Jian Han swam on cruise control and clocked 25.60 to finish fourth and smash the 16-year-old national record.
The Johor-born is the fifth fastest qualifier in Sunday's final.
However, Jian Han will need to shave at least 0.50 seconds off his new national record to have any chance of winning a medal but it may not be an impossible feat with confidence on his side.
He is also the second Malaysian to qualify for a swimming final here after Welson Sim, who finished seventh in the 400m freestyle event on Thursday.
"I am very happy to break Keng Liat's long standing record. He is regarded as a Malaysian swimming legend, so I am really delighted that I have done it," said a delighted Jian Han, who did not even make the event's semi-finals in the 2014 Glasgow edition.
"I knew my timing was within touching distance of the national record but I did not think too much in the heats as I did not want to pressure myself.
"I was relaxed during the semi-finals and did not think about the record yet. My objective here was to lower my personal best and surpassing Keng Liat's record is a great achievement.”
Jian Han attributed his stunning display to additional gym work prior to the Commonwealth Games.
"I did gym work in a move to increase my explosive power and this is probably the key to my success today.”
Among those Jian Han will be up against in Sunday’s final are 100m backstroke champion Mitch Larkin, Benjamin Treffers and Zac Incerti of Australia —- the favourites for the gold medal.