By Will Baxley on SwimSwam
2025 Southeast Asian Games
- December 10-15, 2025
- Sport of Authority of Thailand Pool, Bangkok
- Results
The biennial Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) kicked off earlier this week, and the first day of swimming saw a variety of countries reach the top of the podium.
In her debut Games performance, Filipina athlete Kayla Sanchez anchored the country to its first ever 4×100 freestyle relay gold at the meet. Formerly a representative of Canada, Sanchez threw down a 53.79 split to create a two-second gap between the archipelago nation and runner-up/defending champions Singapore. The Philippines’ final time stood at 3:44.26, a new national record by five one-hundredths of a second.
Joining Sanchez on the relay were Heather White, Xiandi Chua, and Chloe Kennedy Anne Isleta. Chua and Sanchez took part in the previous NR relay, set at the 2023 iteration of these games.
Though Singapore lost its relay title, it gained a meet record thanks to Letitia Sim. The University of Michigan athlete cleared the final by nearly a half second in the 50 breast with a 31.03. It comes just a tenth short of the 22-year-old’s 30.92 Singaporean record.
Host country Thailand walked away with one gold on the first night of competition. Kamonchanok Kwanmuang, 20, had a thrilling 200 fly duel with Viet Thi My Tien Vo which saw Kwanmuang win in a 2:11.78, with her foe settling for silver in 2:12.10.
Singapore’s Mikkel Lee was a star on the men’s side of the first day. He gave Olympic Gold Medalist Joseph Schooling’s 100 free meet record a proper scare, winning in 48.65 to just miss Schooling’s 48.58 benchmark. It was his first registered outing under 49 seconds.
Vietnam’s Hung Tran Nguyen four-peated in the 200 IM, this time clocking a 2:02.11 to win.
Southeast Asia’s largest nation, Indonesia, earned itself a 1-2 punch in the men’s 100 backstroke. The 18-year-old Jason Donovan Yusuf touched first in 55.08 for his nation, trailed by his teammate Farrel Armandio Tangkas (55.89).
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kayla Sanchez Leads Philippines To Its First SEA Games 4×100 Free Gold
