SEA Games: Second gold medal for Singapore's kayakers

Lucas Teo (right) teamed up with Brandon Ooi for Singapore's kayakers second gold at the Hanoi Games on May 19, 2022. PHOTO: SINGAPORE NATIONAL OLYMPIC COUNCIL/FACEBOOK

HANOI - Since starting out their sporting careers in 2010, Lucas Teo and Brandon Ooi have been the fiercest of rivals when it comes to individual kayak races. 

But on Thursday (May 19), the duo joined hands to capture Singapore’s second gold medal in canoeing at the Hanoi SEA Games.

They were the fastest of six teams in the men’s K2 1,000m final, crossing first in 3min 40.779sec at the Thuy Nguyen Hai Phong Aquatics Centre.

Indonesia’s Irwan Irwan and Indra Hidayat took the silver in 3:45.266 while Htet Wai Lwin and Myint Ko Ko from Myanmar settled for the bronze narrowly behind in 3:45.499.

Ooi, 28, and Teo, 31, made their debut at the 2011 Games. 

Teo was the first to make his mark when he captured Singapore’s first SEA Games gold in the sport with his victory in the K1 1,000m event at the 2015 edition on home ground. Ooi followed soon after, winning the K2 1,000m gold with Bill Lee in the same Games.

This is the first time, however, that Teo and Ooi have teamed up at the biennial Games. They had previously finished fourth in the 2018 Asian Games in the men’s K2 1,000m final. 

Said Ooi: “We have been competing for a long time. We are rivals but good friends as well. 

“To be able to win it with someone who has been on the same journey with you from the start felt really special. 

“I will treasure it for the rest of my life.”

As countries are permitted to send only one representative for each event, either Teo or Ooi has had to miss out in individual races even when there is little to separate them in terms of talent and ability. 

Last month, in the men’s kayak single K1 1,000m race during the Singapore Sprint Cup, Teo crossed first in 3min 40.75sec – just 0.01sec ahead of Ooi. 

The friendly rivalry shows no sign of easing up. 

Teo, who won the K1 1,000m on Wednesday, now has three SEA Games golds. Ooi can match that if he triumphs in tomorrow’s K4 500m race. 

He readily admits pushing himself is second nature. Since the middle of 2019, he has been training in Budapest with Olympic gold medallist Sandor Totka and world champion Bence Nadas. 

Ooi, who is funded by Sport Singapore’s spexScholarship programme, said: “I have been pushing myself and developing as much as I can. 

“The goal is of course to be at the Olympics some day but right now, winning at the SEA Games is the least I need to do, to make it up the canoeing food chain.” 

This is also Ooi and Singapore's second gold medal in the same event.

In 2015, Ooi teamed up Bill Lee to win the event on home soil.

The sport was dropped from the 2017 Games while Singapore did not win any medals in the 2019 edition. At the 2015 Games, Singapore captured seven gold and five silver medals.

In 2015, Ooi teamed up Bill Lee to win the event on home soil.

The sport was dropped from the 2017 Games while Singapore did not win any medals in the 2019 edition. At the 2015 Games, Singapore captured seven gold and five silver medals.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.