A Singapore schoolgirl set a meet record in 100 meters freestyle, leading the city-state's surge to the top of the medal standings at the Southeast Asian Games yesterday.

Quah Ting Wen, a 16-year-old highschool student, swam the 100 meters in 56.03 seconds, beating the record of 56.05 seconds set by compatriot Jocelin Yeo in 1999.

The victories have given Singapore nine gold medals by the second day of the 10-day, 11-nation Games - three ahead of the nearest rivals.

"I was quite nervous at the beginning of the race because all the others are good swimmers," Quah told The Associated Press.

She said she hadn't expected to set a new games record. "I was hoping to do my best," said Quah, who describes herself as "quiet boring" since "I am usually swimming or studying." She is competing in seven other events.

Natthanan Junkrajang of Thailand - a star of the 2007 games -took silver and Lim Xiang Qi, another Singaporean, took bronze.

Singapore's Zach Ong won the gold in the men's 200 meters backstroke with a timing of 2:03.27. In the women's 200 meters backstroke, another Singaporean, Li Tao, won the gold with a timing of 2:17.12.

In other events, Thailand's 21-year-old marksman Pakarn Karndee won the men's 25 meters standard pistol and also helped win the men's 25 meters standard pistol team event. Thailand also later won the 10-meter air rifle team event.

Thailand moved up to six golds, with victories in taekwondo and women's 48 kilograms weightlifting.

Vietnam won four golds in taekwondo and two in karate yesterday to match that total.

Singapore's Goh Jiya Yi set the tone for the island nation's sucessses by winning the women's 10-meter air rifle event early yesterday. She was followed by Zhang Jin, who won the men's 10-meter air rifle. Singapore also won the event's team gold.

Singapore's women and men won their respective table tennis team events.

Also yesterday, Indonesia's Risa Suseanty, 29, won gold in the women's downhill event while compatriot Popo Ariyo Sejati, 23, took the top spot in men's downhill, going one better than his silver medal in the event in 2007.

The victories gave Indonesia their first two golds, which were soon followed by three more. One came in the 56-kilogram men's weightlifting with a combined lift of 274 kilograms by Setiadi Jadi.

He topped the snatch at 126 kilograms, turning back a strong challenge from Vietnam's Hoang Anh Tuan who lifted 125. Setiadi's clean and jerk totaled 148 kilograms.

Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sport Andi A. Mallarangeng was delighted with Setiadi's performance.

"We knew he had a chance, but we knew the opposition was strong," the minister said. "He had a good strategy and he delivered the gold.

"We are predicting about 60 gold medals, more or less."