Indonesian Para Swimmer Breaks Record, Wins Gold in Thailand

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian para swimming team continued its golden run at the 2025 ASEAN Para Games in Thailand, highlighted by Mutiara Cantik Harsanto's record-breaking triumph in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB9 final on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Competing at the 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium’s Aquatic Center in Nakhon Ratchasima, the 22-year-old swimmer clocked 1 minute 29.86 seconds, surpassing her own previous best and securing her second gold medal in the discipline, Antara reported.

She finished ahead of Malaysia’s Ong Jia Xuan, who took silver, while Thailand’s Kangpila Monruedue claimed bronze. This achievement broke her personal record set at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia, where she posted 1 minute 33.55 seconds in the same event.

Her victory was part of a strong showing by Indonesian para swimmers. Syuci Indriani added another gold, the team’s third, by winning the women’s 100-meter butterfly S14 with a time of 1 minute 11.41 seconds. Meanwhile, Firmansyah Syailendra contributed to the medal tally with a gold in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB14, finishing in 1 minute 11.53 seconds.

As of Wednesday afternoon, several races were still underway at the Aquatic Center. The Indonesian para swimming squad is represented by 28 athletes, 19 men and nine women, comprising both seasoned competitors and promising young talents.

The younger athletes are products of structured development programs overseen by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Indonesia in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Many were scouted and nurtured through national events such as the National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) and National Students Paralympic Week (Peparpenas), ensuring a pipeline of talent for future international competitions. ***