SINGAPORE — Less than 24 hours ­after setting a new world record in the 100m backstroke S2 event, Singapore para-swimmer Yip Pin Xiu ­returned to the pool and rewrote the Asian mark in the 50m freestyle S2 on Friday morning (May 6, Singapore time).

Competing in the IPC Swimming European Open Championships in Funchal, Portugal, Yip came in second in the event’s final, stopping the clock at 1min 1.00s.

The 24-year-old’s effort bettered the Asian mark of 1min 5.47s set by China’s Feng Yazhu last October.

This is the second time that Yip, who has muscular dystrophy, a condition marked by the progressive weakening of the muscles, has cracked Feng’s Asian mark. The first time was at December’s Asean Para Games in Singapore, when she clocked 1min 1.23s. However, that time has yet to be recognised by IPC Swimming.

Ingrid Thunem of Norway, who holds the world record (53.94s), took gold in 54.31s. Russia’s ­Alexandra Agafonova was third (1min 6.83s).

This is also the fourth time in five months that Yip — Singapore’s first and only Paralympics gold medallist (she won the 50m backstroke S3 event at the 2008 Games) — has ­re-written marks set by Chinese ­para-swimming star Feng.

In December last year, she first beat Feng’s 50m backstroke S2 world record at the APG, clocking 1min 1.61s to erase Feng’s world mark of 1min 3.00s, which the Chinese swimmer clocked en route to winning gold at the 2012 London Paralympics.

On Thursday, Yip erased two of Feng’s marks at the European Championships. Her 2min 15.68s swim in the 100m freestyle S2 beat Feng’s 2min 17.15s Asian mark set last September in Sochi, Russia.

Her world record of 2min 9.79s in the 100m backstroke S2 on that same day also eclipsed Feng’s Asian record of 2min 22.43s in the event.

The two swimmers are expected to go head-to-head in several events at the Rio Paralympics in September.

Yip could not be reached for comment on Friday but her coach, Mick Massey, told TODAY in an earlier ­interview he is considering including the backstroke specialist in the 50m freestyle at the Paralympics.

“Pin Xiu and (Singapore national para-swimmer) Theresa (Goh) would be both down for the 50m and 100m backstroke events (S2 and S5 respectively),” said the former coach of the British Paralympic swim team.

“Theresa’s third event will be the 100m breaststroke. We are not 100 per cent certain yet, but Pin Xiu might be taking up the 50m
freestyle.

“Pin Xiu may just surprise us in the 50m free at the Paralympics, ­besides the backstroke events that she is stronger in.

“The swimmers at the European Open Championships are almost like the final field for the 2016 Paralympics, although more strong swimmers could show up later.”

For example, according to the IPC Swimming website, China was not among the 51 countries that took part in the European Open.

“Feng is in a lot of Pin Xiu’s events. I don’t know what the other swimmers are doing. We can only control what happens in our camp, and we are not going to get slower towards Rio,” said Massey.

Yip has one final event to contest in Portugal — the 50m backstroke S2.

The race took place this morning (1.49am Singapore time).