PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Xiandi Chua broke through for the Philippines in swimming as she topped the women’s 200m backstroke at the Aquatic Center inside the Morodok Techo Sports Complex here on Monday, May 8.

Chua clocked 2:13.20 to shatter the SEA Games record of 2:13.64 set by Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Anh Vien in the 2017 edition and dethrone teammate Chloe Isleta in convincing fashion.

The La Salle tanker also smashed her own national mark of 2:14.96 she set just less than three weeks ago in the Australian Championships.

“I could not believe that I broke the record. I was more of trying to get the gold. The record was like a bonus,” said Chua.

The 200m champion in Vietnam last year, Isleta settled for silver with a time of 2:16.19 as she secured a 1-2 finish for the Philippines, which has won at least two medals in each of the first three days of the swimming competitions.

It has been a stellar SEA Games for Chua, who is one-fourth of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay squad that snagged silver two days prior.

Chua also established a new national record in the women’s 200m individual medley on Sunday after registering 2:17.02. – Rappler.com