Singapore swimmer Gan Ching Hwee has won silver in the women’s 1,500m freestyle at the 2026 Asian Games, setting a new national record in the process.
The 23-year-old finished the race in 16 minutes 0.45 seconds at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on Sunday, 20 September. China’s Li Bingjie took gold, while Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto won bronze.
It is Gan’s first Asian Games medal.
Gan Shaves 0.84 Seconds Off Her Own Singapore Record
Gan’s 16:00.45 was also the fastest long-course 1,500m freestyle time ever recorded by a Singapore woman.
Her previous national record was 16:01.29, set during the heats of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July 2025. She went on to finish seventh in that final.
That means her Asian Games swim improved the record by 0.84 seconds.
The result also marks another sizeable improvement from her previous Asian Games appearance. At the Hangzhou Games, Gan finished fourth in the same event with a time of 16:24.67.
In other words, she has gone from missing the podium in Hangzhou to taking silver while setting another Singapore record.
First Individual Asian Games Swimming Medal for Singapore Since 2018
Gan’s silver also ends an eight-year wait for an individual Asian Games swimming medal for Singapore.
According to CNA, the previous Singapore swimmer to win an individual medal at the Games was Roanne Ho, who medalled in the women’s 50m breaststroke in 2018.
At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, Singapore’s swimming team won one medal, with Teong Tzen Wei taking silver in the men’s 50m butterfly.
Gan entered the 2026 Games as one of Singapore’s leading swimmers. Before Sunday’s race, she already held five individual national records, in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle as well as the 400m individual medley.
She had also swept the women’s 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle titles at the 2025 SEA Games, completing that treble for a third consecutive edition.
Gan Still Has More Events at the Asian Games
The 1,500m freestyle is not expected to be Gan’s final race of the Games.
She is also scheduled to compete in the 400m and 800m freestyle later in the meet. Team Singapore’s schedule lists the 400m freestyle for 22 September and the 800m freestyle for 25 September.
So Singapore’s newest Asian Games medallist still has more chances to add to her haul in Japan.
