Swimmers Daniel and Cai Lin named 2007 Olympians of the Year

KUALA LUMPUR: Swimmers Daniel Bego and Khoo Cai Lin were deservingly named winners of the Olympians of the Year awards last night.

The awards were for the most outstanding Malaysian male and female athletes in the Korat SEA Games last December.

Daniel and Cai Lin, who flew back yesterday after competing in the Olympic test event in Beijing, received their awards from the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, at the Olympic Council of Malaysia's (OCM) annual dinner last night. The two young swimmers also received RM10,000 each.

Daniel beat four other multiple medal winners shorlisted for the award in the male category. The other candidates were Qabil Ambak (equestrian), Cheng Su Sian (archery), Yeoh Ken Nee (diving) and Lim Yoke Wai (karate).

Qabil raked in four gold medals and the others won two gold medals each.

Daniel won the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle events in Games record times.

Daniel shattered his own national record in the 100m butterfly and in the process qualified for the Beijing Olympics, making him the first Malaysian male swimmer to make the grade in three events. He had earned qualification for the 200m butterfly and freestyle in a meet in Japan earlier.

The OCM executive board picked swimmer Cai Lin over rhythmic gymnast Chrystal Lim and diver Leong Mun Yee for her record-breaking exploits as well.

Cai Lin broke two Games records in her third SEA Games appearance and in the process qualified for the Olympics in both events.

She clocked 4:18.20 in winning the 400m freestyle, erasing the previous Games record of 4:19.13 set by Pilin Tachakittiranan of Thailand in Brunei in 1999.

In the 800m freestyle, Cai Lin stopped the clock at 8:47.80 to erase the previous record of 8:58.88 set by another Thai, Intaporn-Udom, in Jakarta in 1997. The effort also wiped out the longest swimming record in the country of 8:47.98 set by Nurul Huda Abdullah in 1988.

The 19-year-old Cai Lin expressed surprise that she was named as the winner.

“I did not expect this because I only won two gold medals. I thought Chrystal (who won four gold medals) win the award,” said the Selangor-born swimmer.

“This will spur me to put up better performances in competitions to come and I hope to make the country proud in the Olympics as well.”

The OCM secretary, Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, said that quality performances at the Korat Games were used as the criteria to pick the winners.

“The panel felt that Daniel should be given winner even though Qabil won four gold medals. The standards of SEA Games equestrian are not so high ... Daniel reached Olympics qualifying standards,” he said.

“It was the same in Cai Lin's case. It's not easy for anyone to beat Nurul Huda's national record.”

The Star