KUALA LUMPUR: Swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean hopes the push from Australian world champion Sam Short will help him qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The two-time Sea Games champion has been training with Short in Brisbane, Australia, since the beginning of the year.
Short, 20, will be gunning for gold in the Paris Games after winning the men's 400m freestyle gold, 800m freestyle silver and 1,500m freestyle bronze at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last year.
Malaysian Aquatics (MAS) secretary Andy Low said a quality sparring partner like Short will set a faster pace for Hoe Yean in endurance training.
"It's his own decision to train in Australia as he wants to try to qualify for the Paris Olympics," said Andy.
"The qualifying standards for the Paris Olympics are very high this time but he stands a chance if he can break his national record.
"He has also informed that he wants to swim in the Singapore Open in June as it will be the last chance for Olympic qualification."
Hoe Yean is guaranteed a place in Paris if he meets the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) which is limited to two slots for each country.
Those who qualify under the Olympic Consideration Time will be accepted for Paris (one swimmer for each country) depending on the World Aquatics rankings.
Hoe Yean and Phee Jinq En are currently Malaysia's highest-ranked swimmers for men and women respectively in the world rankings.