Indonesian swimmer Masniari Wolf dominated the women's 50m backstroke at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, securing her third consecutive gold medal. She clocked 28.80 seconds, breaking the previous national record. This achievement solidifies her status as the queen of backstroke in Southeast Asia.
At the Sports Authority of Thailand swimming pool in Bangkok on December 11, 2025, 20-year-old Indonesian swimmer Masniari Wolf, of Batak-German descent, finished first in the women's 50m backstroke final at the 2025 SEA Games with a time of 28.80 seconds. This victory marked her third consecutive gold medal and broke the national record of 28.86 seconds held by Flairene Candrea. Silver went to Thailand's Saovanee Boonamphai with 28.84 seconds, while the Philippines' Kayla Noelle Sanchez took bronze with the same time. Flairene Candrea placed fourth at 28.98 seconds.
Masniari's success began with her debut at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, where she won gold in 29.21 seconds, shattering the national record and ending Indonesia's gold drought since 2011, when Yessy Yosaputra triumphed at the Jakarta-Palembang SEA Games. Her dominance continued at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games with a faster 28.89 seconds, proving her consistency.
Masniari's background reveals a long journey. She took up competitive swimming at age 11 in Germany, starting in Wiesbaden and progressing to Frankfurt. Initially swimming for fun once a week, she received an offer from a higher-level coach to join the team and train four times weekly. Though hesitant, she joined and developed various strokes, with backstroke becoming her specialty. "I've been swimming almost my whole life. At first, it was just for fun. I trained once a week, then got an offer from a coach on a higher-level team than my club," she said. Her coach spotted her potential in backstroke, which now makes her the backbone of Indonesia's swimming team at the regional level.
