SINGAPORE – Team Singapore surpass their best ASEAN Para Games gold medal haul of 16 achieved at the 2001 Games, with swimmer Toh Wei Soong clinching the country’s 17th gold this morning with a Games record to boot.

The Republic’s swimmers got off to a great start at the OCBC Aquatics Centre this morning (Dec 7) after para-swimmer Theresa Goh, Singapore’s most senior athlete in the 154-strong local contingent at the Games, equaled the 2001 haul when she won her fifth gold of this APG in the women’s 50m freestyle, S5 event.

Goh, who also won Singapore’s first gold medal of this APG last Friday, stopped the clock at 49.41secs, while best friend and teammate Yip Pin Xiu took silver (1:01.23). Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Den rounded up the top three with 1:03.45.

Moments later, APG debutant Toh touched home first in the men’s 100m backstroke, S8 event, to bring home gold No. 17 to help Team Singapore exceed its 2001 haul of 16 gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze medals in Kuala Lumpur.

Toh timed a personal best of 1:21.02, a new Games record for the event.