Erika — the golden girl

0

Erika Kong

KUCHING: Best U-18 swimmer bags eight golds at national schools meet.

US-bound Erika Kong Chia Chia signed off her participation in the national schools swimming meet with a golden splash.

Swimming in her last (46th) Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Championship at Kota Kinabalu Aquatic Centre in Sabah, the talented 17-year-old scooped eight gold, one silver and one bronze medals to lead Sarawak to the overall championship title.

Her medal-winning spree in the pool propelled the state to the top of table with an overall haul of 38 gold, 27 silver and 15 bronze medals.

For her brilliant showing, the fifth former of Lodge Secondary School in Kuching was named the best swimmer in the under-18 girls category.

Erika was entered for 13 events but only competed in 10 after suffering a knock on her thigh during training on the fourth day of the competition.

This put paid to her aim of breaking the 22-year-old 200M breaststroke record of 2:43.53 set by Jong Su Ting in 1990.

Moreover, she was down to swim in this event on the fifth day where she also had to compete in the 400m IM and 50m freestyle.

“I believe she could have easily broken the record as she had clocked 2:34.03 during training,” said her father and personal coach Anthony Kong.

Erika raked in gold medals in the girls’ 400m freestyle Open, 200m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 200m IM; a silver in the 100m freestyle and a bronze in the 50m backstroke at the MSSM Championship.

According to Kong, this was a vast improvement over the three gold medals she won the previous year.

“Actually, we were only
targeting to win gold medals for the Sarawak team and not going for the best times at the MSSM meet.”

Kong said his daughter was posting good times in some of the events – which he did not expect.

“It was beyond my expectations – like in the 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly,” he added.

Erika will next take part in the National Age Group Swimming Championship at Bukit Jalil from April 6 to 8 and the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur in May 3 to 6 where she is hoping to qualify for the London Olympics before the end of June.

“We are hopeful she can meet the qualifying time of 2:18.03 in the 200m IM under the B category and I do believe she is capable of making it as she is doing 2:20.00 now,” Kong said.

Right now, Erika is still resting after competing in Kota Kinabalu.

She will start intensive training next week for another week to maintain her form.

Erika won the MSSM-Milo Sports Girl Wward in 2007 and was named MSSM-Milo Sports Girl in 2009.

She was also adjudged the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) Most Promising Sportswoman 2009-2010.

She will be going to the United States to further her studies and her swimming career at the end of the year.