PARIS (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – After a three-year wait, Singaporean swimmer Gan Ching Hwee made a notable debut at the Olympics, showcasing her composure and focus.
On 30th July, as she prepared for her women’s 1,500m freestyle heat at the Paris La Defense Arena, the initial race-day nerves were evident, and the enthusiastic crowd’s energy was palpable.
However, once she plunged into the water, she was fully immersed in her performance.
The external noise of the cheering crowd faded, leaving only the soothing sound of water surrounding her, creating a serene environment that helped her concentrate.
In peak form, the 21-year-old swimmer achieved a time of 16 minutes 10.13 seconds, surpassing her previous national record of 16:10.61 set at the Singapore National Swimming Championships in June. This performance placed her first in Heat 1.
Ultimately, Gan Ching Hwee finished ninth out of 16 swimmers, narrowly missing a spot in the final. She was just under two seconds behind Germany’s Leonie Martens, who secured the eighth and final position for the concluding round with a time of 16:08.69.
Gan is the first reserve for the final on July 31. American Katie Grimes, 18, is the second reserve (16:12.11).
Defending champion Katie Ledecky was first in the heats with the American touching home in 15:47.43.
Gan said: “It’s quite hard to put into words, honestly. It’s different and the same at the same time – it’s just a swimming pool with a bit more lights, cameras all around, noise, everything.
“I just came in here to swim free, loose, be happy, enjoy every minute of it, which I did and I’m very happy with the result.”
Three years ago, she had received an invitation to the Tokyo Olympics from Fina (now known as World Aquatics) for meeting the Olympic Consideration Time or “B” timing.
But she eventually missed out on the Games in Japan after Quah Ting Wen’s appeal for a spot was successful.
This time around, Gan and Quah were also embroiled in a selection storm for the Paris Olympics and Gan had to stay focused.
Crediting her support system, she said: “My coaches kept me in check, reminding me that I just need to continue putting in the work, that noise is really secondary.”
On July 30, Gan not only achieved her goal of topping her heat, which comprised herself, Malta’s Sasha Gatt and Chile’s Kristel Kobrich, but also surpassed her expectations with a national mark.
Having just broken the record in June, Gan was not expecting to achieve the feat again and there was a sense of relief after she completed the race.
She said: “I have been waiting for this day for the longest time. I feel like I can’t call myself an Olympian until I’ve actually swum my race, it’s just so special right now.”
While she just missed out on the 1,500m free final, Gan still has two more events coming up – the 800m free, which begins on August 2, and the women’s 4x100m medley relay the day after.
She is still taking in the experience of being at her maiden Olympics, including attending a baguette-making workshop, and is looking to make the most of her remaining events in Paris.
Gan said: “I’ve heard a bit of stuff here and there but it’s nothing quite like experiencing it myself.
“It’s just a very special thing, a bit surreal at times. I’ll take some time after the Games to really process this experience, but now I’m going to go out there and do my best.”
Meanwhile, in the men’s 100m free, Jonathan Tan clocked 49.60 seconds to finish fifth in heat 6 and 38th overall. American Jack Alexy topped the 79-strong field with his 47.57sec effort.
While he felt he could have gone faster, Tan is looking ahead to his next race: the 50m free on August 1.
“It’s definitely not the race I wanted to swim, I wanted to go faster than that,” said the 22-year-old, whose entry time was 48.80sec.
“But I’ve got to keep my head in the game and hopefully the 50m will be better.”
The swimming action continues on July 31, with Singapore’s Letitia Sim competing in the women’s 200m breaststroke, her second event of the Paris Games.
