According to Singapore Aquatics, Gan’s 800m split time in the race on Monday – 8:29.93 – is also a new national record. It is more than two seconds faster than the 8:32.37 mark she set in the 800m freestyle heats at the Paris Olympics.
While Gan had been pencilled in for the 200m freestyle heats earlier on Tuesday, she opted to pull out of the event to focus on the evening’s race.
Earlier in the meet, Gan broke Lynette Lim’s 15-year-old national record in the women’s 400m freestyle.
She finished 13th overall in the heats, with Canada’s Summer McIntosh winning the event.
Gan will now turn her attention to the 800m freestyle event on Friday.
“I really want to inspire the next generation, especially with (the) SEA Games coming up on home ground (in 2029) as well,” she said.
“I really would love to see the next generation come through and also do their best for Singapore, putting Singapore out there on the world stage. We’re just a tiny red dot, but I think we are capable of achieving great things.”
