This 23-Year-Old Once Wanted To Swim For Malaysia. Now She’s One Of Ireland’s Best Swimmers
Lottie Cullen, who grew up in Ipoh, returned to Kuala Lumpur this week as an Irish national record holder, showing how citizenship rules shaped a career that could have unfolded very differently.
Cover image via @lottiecullenn (Instagram)Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
It could have been Malaysia celebrating a new women's swimming champion. Instead, it has been Ireland's gain.
Lottie Cullen, now an Irish national backstroke record holder, returned to Kuala Lumpur this week and showcased her class by winning the women's 200m backstroke in 2:14.47 at the Malaysia Invitational Age Group Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil on Thursday, 5 February.
Competing for her mother's home state of Perak, the 23-year-old cruised to victory in the 19-and-above Open category.
Malaysia's Chong Xin Lin finished second in 2:24.05, while India's Palak Ashutosh completed the podium in 2:25.56.
Cullen's time would have been enough to win gold at the Thailand SEA Games, where host nation swimmer Mia Millar topped the event in 2:14.95.
Lottie Cullen at her first World Championships in Budapest, representing the green, white, and gold of Ireland.
Image via @lottiecullenn (Instagram)Born outside Malaysia but raised in Ipoh, Cullen moved to Ireland at the age of 10
She told the media yesterday that she had once hoped to represent Malaysia, but citizenship regulations at the time made it difficult.
"When I was younger, I really wanted to represent Malaysia. My mother is from Ipoh but I was born outside Malaysia. We did try many times to get a Malaysian passport but then it was difficult at that time," said Cullen.
However, as her career developed in Ireland, Cullen said her sporting identity gradually shifted, and she began to "feel more Irish" as an athlete.
Since then, her career has taken off in Irish colours
Cullen holds the Irish senior short-course record in the 100m backstroke with a time of 56.96 seconds and has won gold medals in the 50m and 100m backstroke at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships.
She also finished 13th in the women's 200m backstroke at the 2024 World Aquatics Short Course Championships in Budapest, clocking 2:05.57 and becoming Ireland's second-fastest swimmer ever in the event.
Despite competing internationally for Ireland, Cullen maintains strong ties to Malaysia
She described the local swimming community as incredibly welcoming and said she spent time with Malaysian swimmers during the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr World University Games.
Away from the pool, that connection shows up in familiar comforts. Currently studying accountancy at Ulster University in Belfast, Cullen said Malaysian food is what she misses most.
"I've been having roti canai every morning for breakfast since I've been here," she said, also listing char kway teow and wan tan mee among her favourites.
In another era, or under different rules, Cullen might have been standing on a SEA Games podium in Malaysian colours.
Instead, she returns to Kuala Lumpur as a visiting athlete, reconnecting with her roots while continuing to build an international career for Ireland.
Looking ahead, Cullen remains a key prospect for the Irish national team, with major championships in her sights
Cullen said her immediate focus is on the Commonwealth and European Games this summer, while her long-term goal is to earn a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"I'm slowly chipping away at my times, and hopefully I'll qualify at our national trials in April 2028."
