The 6-time SEA Games gold-medallist will be competing at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China this September
Amanda Lim all smiles after making the Asian Games ‘A’ cut in the Women’s 50m Freestyle. PHOTO: ANDY CHUA, SINGAPORE SWIMMING ASSOCIATION
Singapore, 20 March 2022 – The penultimate day of competition of the Liberty Insurance 52nd SNAG Major Games Qualifier at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on Saturday, 19 March, saw the region’s fastest woman and 6-time SEA Games gold-medallist, Amanda Lim, seal her spot at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China this September.
Lim, 29, clinched her ticket in her pet event, the Women’s 50m freestyle, when she touched the wall first in the final in exactly 25.48s, the time needed for the Asian Games ‘A’ cut.
The Chief Inspiration Officer at Athlete Inc (AI) Academy, said, “I came into the race, wanting to do a personal best, and make the Asian Games ‘A’ cut and qualify, so those were my goals. I was a little bit disappointed with my race today, but at the end of the day, the objective was achieved, so right now I will be taking two days break and then go back to the drawing block and see what can be done better from now till Asian Games.”
This will be Amanda’s fourth Asian Games, having swam at Guangzhou in 2010, Incheon in 2014 and Jakarta four years ago.
"It has been a very long journey, but every year and every games, it is a very different experience. When I was younger, it felt like I was just going through the routine, following blindly whatever the coach wants me to do and I will just do it and just swim," Lim said.
Amanda Lim getting ready to compete in the Women’s 50m Freestyle at the 52nd Liberty Insurance SNAG Major Games Qualifier. PHOTO: ANDY CHUA, SINGAPORE SWIMMING ASSOCIATION
"However, in the past two to three years, maybe it’s because of maturity or probably just because I am older, I approach everything with more purpose and more intent, the goal is clearer, every training has a very specific goal, and what I want is also very specific and important, so the past few years have been very different as compared to 2010”, she added.
Gustavo Schirru, National Training Centre Assistant Coach, and dedicated coach to the sprinters, said, “Her progression this year has been awesome, I was expecting her to go faster, but what matters is that she made the cut, and that was our primary goal. I have confidence that she can go faster, and I will be working with her to figure out where we can improve for her to go faster.”
Also making the Asian Games ‘A’ cut was the Men’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay team – Glen Lim, Jonathan Tan, Ardi Azman and Quah Zheng Wen. Their individual timings in the Men’s 200m freestyle – Glen (1:49.69s), Jonathan (1:50.34s), Ardi (1:50.35s) and Zheng Wen (1:51.00s)- was good enough for a total combined time of 7.21.38s, well below the Asian Games ‘A’ qualifying mark of 7:32.02s.
The final day of the Liberty Insurance 52nd SNAG Major Games Qualifier will see the Men’s 50m and 800m Freestyle and the 200m Butterfly, and the Women’s 100m Breaststroke and Butterfly.
The Liberty Insurance 52nd SNAG Major Games Qualifier is open to up to 200 fully vaccinated spectators, and live streamed here.