MALAYSIA'S wait for their first gold medal in the Asian Schools Swimming Championships continued as Foo Jian Beng came close, but failed in the final stretch at the Selangor State Aquatics Complex in Shah Alam yesterday.

Jian Beng, the 50m and 100m freestyle national record holder, was fired up entering the 200m freestyle final at his 'home' pool, but the Selangor swimmer just did not have the endurance.

The 17-year-old led from the start and into the final turn with 50m to go, looked good for the gold, but he seemed to stall when it mattered the most, to be passed almost at the finish by Hong Kong's Kent Cheung.

"I just went dead. I just did not have the endurance for this event, but I'm going to make up for it tomorrow," said Jian Beng.

Cheung clocked in at 1:54.91s, with Jian Beng registering 1:55.33s, while Thailand's Nithipanya Anuchit was third with 1:58.18s.
Distance swimmer Kevin Lim, who took the 400m freestyle silver medal on Thursday, yesterday added the 200m butterfly bronze to his collection.

But Kevin will be disappointed in not landing the silver after he was pipped by China's Kuang Junfei, although gold medal winner Arkom Anuchit of Thailand was far superior, finishing three seconds ahead.

China top the medal standings after two days with a haul of five gold and six silver medals, while Hong Kong are second with five gold, four silver and four bronze medals.

Malaysia, who were third in the last championships in Singapore two years ago, are languishing in fourth with just two silver and two bronze medals to show.

Results - Boys - 200m freestyle: 1 Kent Cheung (Hkg) 1:54.91s, 2 Foo Jian Beng (Mas) 1:55.33s, Nithipanya Anuchit (Tha) 1:58.18s; 200m butterfly: 1 Arkom Anuchit (Tha) 2:05.75s, 2 Kuang Junfei (Chn) 2:08.83s, 3 Kevin Lim (Mas) 2:08.99s; 200m individual medley: 1 Feng Yangyang (Chn) 2:11.44s, 2 Kent Cheung (Hkg) 2:13.28s, 3 H.B. Unamboowe (Srl) 2:15.95s, 7 Esmonde Yap (Mas) 2:21.35s;

Girls - 200m freestyle: 1 Li Wen (Chn) 2:06.37s, 2 Jennifer Town (Hkg) 2:06.81s, 3 Rassarin Sililertsak (Tha) 2:11.97s, 4 Chan Kah Yan (Mas) 2:14.48s; 200m butterfly: 1 Zhao Jun (Chn) 2:14.23s, 2 Jennifer Town (Hkg) 2:18.79s, 3 Carmen Nam (Hkg) 2:20.60s, 4 Hii Siew Siew (Mas) 2:22.99s; 200m individual medley: 1 Fiona Ma (Hkg) 2:23.60s, 2 Yong Rong (Chn) 2:25.20s, 3 Claudia Lau (Hkg) 2:26.15s, 4 Cheng Karmen (Mas) 2:29.43s.