Singapore get first medal of 2018 Asiad

Singapore's swimmers delivered the nation's first medal at the 2018 Asian Games yesterday, a bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle.

The quartet of Quah Zheng Wen, Joseph Schooling, Danny Yeo and Jonathan Tan also set a national record of 7min 14.15sec, shaving almost four seconds off the previous record of 7:18.14.

The previous mark was set at the 2015 Singapore SEA Games by Schooling, Quah, Yeo and Pang Sheng Jun.

"I feel great. It's my first Games and I didn't know what to expect, but my team got my back. Right before I jumped in, they were still shouting at me and spurring me on," said anchor leg Jonathan, who is only 16 and making his Asian Games debut.

"I have to thank them as it took the stress off and I just gave it my best shot."

Japan won the gold in a Games record time of 7:05.17, while China, with Sun Yang in the final leg, finished second in 7:05.45.

Singapore's time of 7:14.15 is the fourth national record the Republic's swimmers have set in Indonesia, after Gan Ching Hwee (women's 1,500m freestyle), the women's 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday and Glen Lim's 800m freestyle mark yesterday morning.

Distance swimmer Glen clocked 8min 11.59sec during the timed finals.

The 16-year-old also held the previous national record of 8:15.08, which he set just two months ago at the Singapore National Swimming Championships.

At Palembang's Jakabaring International Shooting Range, Singapore shooter Martina Veloso finished sixth in the women's 10m air rifle event, after posting a 164.0 score in the finals yesterday.

The 18-year-old, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the event, was seventh in the qualifiers earlier with a 624.3 score to reach the eight-shooter finals.

China's Zhao Ruozhu set an Asian Games qualifying record of 631.9 to finish on top of the heap.

Zhao, 20, then claimed the gold medal with a Games record score of 250.9, ahead of South Korea's Jung Eun Hea (248.6) and Mongolia's Nandinzaya Gankhuyag (227.4).

Singapore's other entrant, Jasmine Ser struggled in the middle of the six-series qualifiers, and failed to drag herself back into contention.

The 27-year-old finished far off qualifying positions, in 13th place with 620.9.

Ser said: "Today was one of the toughest competitions that I've been through. I didn't have a good start, so I took my time, because I thought I shouldn't rush through.

"I won't change anything (of my processes), and will keep a positive mindset as I prepare for the 50m three-positions event (on Wednesday)."

"I've had to spread my attention to both events, but now I can finally concentrate on the 50m event," added the 2012 and 2016 Olympian, referring to her pet event. - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHAMIR OSMAN IN PALEMBANG