Gan Ching Hwee Wins Asian Games Silver in 1,500m Freestyle

Singaporean swimmer Gan Ching Hwee won a silver medal in the women’s 1,500m freestyle at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 20, 2026. She recorded a national record time of 16 minutes and 0.45 seconds at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, securing her first Asian Games medal.

Gan’s historic performance on the opening day of the swim meet at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre marked a major milestone for Singaporean swimming. Coming off an energetic buildup that included the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where she first tested herself against older international competitors, the 23-year-old athlete delivered a medal-winning endurance swim. I was 15 years old, wide-eyed, and experiencing the world with all the world-class swimmers, Gan said, describing the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games to Olympics.com. It was a really big competition, one of my first major internationals. It holds many fond memories and a special place in my heart. In Argentina, she shattered the 400m Under-17 record previously held by Lynette Lim, and seven years later in 2025, Gan went on to break Lim’s senior record over the distance, which had stood for 16 years. Reflecting on her early experience, she noted, I pitched myself against all these higher-level athletes; a lot of them were 18. I was very daunted; they were much taller, bigger than me. It felt almost like an impossible task, so to be in the top six was a big achievement for me.

How Gan Ching Hwee Secured Silver in Tokyo

China’s Li Bingjie retained gold in 15:53.52 at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, while Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto took bronze in 16:06.83. Gan clocked 16:00.45 to claim the silver, improving upon her previous national record of 16:01.29 set at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Her performance included a new national record split time of 8:29.56 in the first 800m, eclipsing her previous best of 8:29.93, which was also set at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.

Gan Ching Hwee Wins Asian Games Silver in 1,500m Freestyle — Photo: 조선일보

The achievement makes Gan the first Singaporean female swimmer to win an Asian Games medal since Roanne Ho clinched a 50m breaststroke silver in 2018. It also marks the first time a Singaporean has won a distance medal at the Games since Neo Chwee Kok claimed gold in the men’s 1,500m freestyle at the inaugural 1951 edition. At the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, Gan finished fifth with a time of 16:39.70, and she then improved to fourth place with a time of 16:24.67 in China in 2023. At last December’s SEA Games, she made history by completing a rare triple-triple of wins in the women’s 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle events.

Overcoming Pre-Race Doubts and Prior Setbacks

Ahead of her breakthrough swim, Gan dealt with mental hurdles. In the days leading up to her Asian Games silver, there were slivers of doubt which crossed her mind, and the main one was whether she would miss out on a medal after being seeded third, similar to what happened at the recent Commonwealth Games. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July, she finished fourth in the 1,500m freestyle, while in the 400m freestyle she lowered her own national record and finished fifth.

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I've grown a lot, not just from the improvement in my times but also the mindset, she said. When the race actually started, I just left all the past things behind and began on a new slate and then just kept going.

That psychological shift helped her handle the intensity of the competition. Over her career, Gan has accumulated national records in the women’s 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,500m freestyle events, as well as the 400m individual medley, having set all these records over a 14-month period.

Kim Chae-yun and the Wider Asian Games Field

In the same 1,500m freestyle final at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, 18-year-old Kim Chae-yun placed fourth in her first Asian Games, recording 16 minutes and 31.87 seconds. With a 0.72-second start reaction time, Kim entered the water and passed the first 50-meter section in sixth place, moving up to fifth place at the 150-meter mark. Midway through the race, she faced a physical challenge as her split times after the 500-meter mark dropped to the 33-second range and her kick speed gradually slowed. As the gap to the leaders widened, she maintained her own pace to cover the remaining distance, and her strength in endurance came into play in the latter stages when she overtook Gao Weihong of China at the 1050-meter mark to rise to fourth place. Kim maintained her position and touched the pad with a time of 16 minutes and 31.87 seconds, demonstrating her potential despite missing a medal, in a race where Li Bingze of China recorded 15 minutes and 53.52 seconds and Gan Qinghui of Singapore secured the silver medal with a time of 16 minutes and 0.45 seconds.

Upcoming Events in Tokyo

Following her silver-medal finish on the opening day of the swim meet at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Gan is also entered in the 400m and 800m freestyle events at the Asian Games.