Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Singapore`s swimming team won four of the six gold medals offered for grabs on the first day of the swimming events of the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA Games) here on Saturday.

Singapore also won two silver and one bronze medals and broke a new SEA Games record. Li Tao clocked 58:84 in the women`s 100 meter butterfly race, breaking her own record of 59 minutes and 24 seconds made in 2009.

Thailand finished second with two gold medals and one bronze while host Indonesia finished third with two silvers and one bronze, followed by Malaysia with two silvers, and Vietnam with two bronze medals.

Nattapong Kain of Thailand meanwhile broke a SEA Games record in the men`s 200 breast stroke event clocking 2:12.99 which was faster than the 2:13.42 minutes he made in 2009.

Singaporean Zheng We Quah won a gold medal in the 400 meter men`s medley finishing in 4 minutes 24.33 seconds and Kevin also from Singapore won a silver medal finishing in 4 minutes 27.41 seconds while Indonesian Akbar Nasution finished third with a bronze medal in 4 minutes 31.27 seconds.

In the women`s 200 meter free-style Thai Natthanan Junkranjang finished first in 2:01.48 minutes to win a gold medal, followed by Singaporean Xiang Qi Amanda Lim and Hui Yu Koh respectively clocking 2:03.02 and 2:03.47 to win silver and bronze medals.

In the men`s 200 meter breast stroke two Indonesian swimmers namely Indra Gunawan and Idham M Dasuki were only able to win silver and bronze medals clocking 2:16. 95 and 2:17.45 respectively. The gold medal in the class went to Nuttapong Katin of Thailand who finished in 2 minutes and 12.99 seconds to break his own record of 2 minutes 13.42 seconds made in 2009.

The silver and bronze medals in the women`s 100 meter butterfly went to Merellyn Liew of Malaysia who finished in one minute and 01.91 seconds and Thi Kin Tuyen from Vietnam finishing in one minute and 01.97 seconds.

Indonesian Glenn Victor failed to win a gold medal in the men`s 50 meter butterfly finishing second in 24.20 seconds to win a silver after Singaporean Joseph Isac who clocked 24.06 seconds to win the gold. The bronze medal went to Ouy Phauc Hoang from Vietnam finishing in 24.66 seconds.

Singapore`s women`s 4x100 meter medley won a gold medal after finishing in four minutes 11.27 seconds, followed by a Malaysian swimmer in four minutes 15.02 seconds and a Thai swimmer in four minutes 16.61 seconds respectively to win silver and bronze medals.

(SYS/H-YH)

Editor: Suryanto
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