SINGAPORE — At the 28th SEA Games earlier this month, Quah Zheng Wen cemented his status as the Republic’s most-promising young swimmer, after winning 12 medals — including seven gold — at the OCBC Aquatic Centre to become the most bemedalled athlete at the biennial event.

But there was no rest for the swimmer as he took the plunge back into the pool just days after, taking his medal-winning form into the Neo Garden Singapore National Swimming Championships (SNSC).

After winning the men’s 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly last Friday, Quah won his third and fourth title on the final day of the competition at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, claiming gold in the 100m freestyle in a time of 49.96sec before winning the 4x100m medley. National team-mate Danny Yeo won the silver in 51.02sec, while Teo Zhen Ren clocked 52.23sec for the bronze.

Quah also met the Olympic “B” qualifying times in all three individual events at the championships to add to his “A” mark of 1min 56.79sec in the 200m butterfly clocked at the recent SEA Games.

The 1.77m-tall swimmer credited national swimming head coach Sergio Lopez, who joined the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) in January, for what has been a standout year for him.

“My performance (at the SNSC) showed me that I could clock certain times consistently … that I could actually hit those times even without a full taper, coming on the back of a major Games,” said Quah.

“I have matured quite a lot over this past half-year, and some of it was due to Sergio. It is not always pertaining to swimming, but … he helps me grow as a person as well and has really encouraged me a lot.”

With the 18-year-old due for enlistment for National Service next month, the SSA is reportedly seeking a request for deferment from the Ministry of Defence, in order to allow him to focus on next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. After making his mark in South-east Asia, Quah is ready to take the next big step, adding: “I always believed that (the Singapore swim team) could be world-class and could reach that level we all want to be at. That was my dream, and Sergio somehow solidified that in the team. That is almost a reality for me now, more of a goal and not some kind of unattainable dream.”

A total of six meet records were rewritten at this year’s championships, with 12-year-old Zachary Ian Tan setting a new Boys’ under-14 national record in the 200m breaststroke yesterday. The three-day meet saw Quah eventually picked as Most Valuable Swimmer for the men, while the award in the women’s category was given to Hoong En Qi.

ADELENE WONG