Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee clinches Asian Games silver in 1,500m freestyle, sets new national records

TOKYO: Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee cemented her status as one of the top distance swimmers in Asia after she clinched silver in the women’s 1,500m freestyle on Sunday (Sep 20) in a new national record time of 16:00.45. 

At the Tokyo Aquatic Centre, China's Li Bingjie took gold while Japan's Ichika Kajimoto finished with the bronze. At the last edition of the Games in Hangzhou, Gan finished fourth with a time of 16:24.67. 

The last Singaporean swimmer to finish with an individual Games medal was Roanne Ho in the 50m breaststroke in 2018. 

Gan holds five individual national records (200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle, as well as 400m individual medley), all of which were set in the last 14 months. 

At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July, she lowered her own 400m freestyle national record and finished fifth in the final. 

At the 2025 SEA Games, Gan swept the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle events for the third consecutive edition.

Coming into the Asian Games, the 23-year-old had the fourth-fastest 1,500m freestyle time in Asia this year, behind Kajimoto, China’s Li and Kajimoto’s compatriot Airi Ebina.  

She also set a national record in the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, before smashing that mark at the World Aquatics Championships on home soil last year en route to finishing seventh in the final. 

Gan is pencilled in to compete in the 400m and 800m freestyle events later in the meet. 

At the last Asian Games, Singapore's swim team clinched one medal, a silver in the men’s 50m butterfly courtesy of Teong Tzen Wei.