KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University’s star swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean has been selected to represent Malaysia at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men’s 400m freestyle.

This is the first time a UCSI athlete will compete at the Olympics and all eyes will be on Hoe Yean as he seeks to set a personal best on sport’s grandest stage.

Hoe Yean is the current holder of the national record which he set at the Australian Open in April this year, recording a time of 3 minutes and 48.36 seconds.

“I am grateful for this opportunity and I would like to thank UCSI University, Majlis Sukan Negara, Malaysia Swimming Federation, Olympic Council of Malaysia, Institut Sukan Negara, my family and friends for their support,” said Khiew when contacted from his training camp in Australia.

“I will do my best to represent Malaysia in Paris.”

Hoe Yean received a wild card granted by World Aquatics by virtue of amassing the three highest scores amongst Malaysia’s male swimmers over the past year, scoring 895 (400m freestyle), 847 (200m freestyle) and 829 (800m freestyle) points.

Hoe Yean is pursuing a computer science degree at UCSI. He has been training in Australia for the past six months, joining 2023 FINA 400m freestyle world champion Samuel Short’s camp.

The move has been a fruitful one as Hoe Yean has broken national records in the 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle and the 1,500m freestyle over the past six months.

He will now have his final training camp in Denmark before heading to Paris.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11.