Malaysian open-water swimmer Max Tang is heading to the OCEANMAN World Finals Championships 2026 in Miches, Dominican Republic, on 13-15 November, and the 16-year-old will be doing it with the Jalur Gemilang in hand as Malaysia’s flag bearer.

The World Finals is the annual showpiece of OCEANMAN, an international open-water swimming series with events across multiple countries and distances, where qualified swimmers from around the world come together to compete.

Max earned his spot with a standout double at OCEANMAN Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, in July, winning both the 2km Sprint and the 5km Half Oceanman. He didn’t stop at topping his junior age categories, either. He went on to claim the overall title in both distances, beating swimmers of all ages, seasoned adults included, and he was only 15 at the time.

Max also competed at the Malaysian Games (SUKMA) 2026 in August, and was longlisted for the 400m freestyle at the 48th Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Swimming Championships, being hosted in Kuala Lumpur this November.

Now, he will take on top swimmers from around the globe in the 15-19 junior divisions of both the 2km Sprint and 5km Half Oceanman. Being trusted with the national flag makes the trip even more special.

“It is an incredible honour to represent Malaysia at the OCEANMAN World Finals, and an even greater privilege to carry our national flag. I am very proud to have this opportunity and will give my very best in both races,” said Max, a student at Garden International School in Kuala Lumpur.