Swimmer Schooling Stumbles – Still Won’t Throw in the Towel
Singapore’s Olympic gold‑medallist Joseph Schooling just finished a rough outing at Tokyo 2020, but he’s keeping his chin up and refuses to let this dent his career. “I want to get back out there,” he said, “and not end my story with a single bad swim.”
Heat‑Hate Experience
- He clocked 53.12 seconds in the 100‑m butterfly, 2.73 seconds slower than his Rio 2016 triumph.
- Schooling finished 44th out of 55, far from the 16‑swimmer semi‑final cut‑line (51.74 seconds).
- Despite his injury‑gene, he still dared to fight—he ended up last in Heat 5.
Coaches Weigh In
David Lim, his senior coach, called it a “heavy” swim and wondered if Schooling was holding back. “He was a light, fast splash in 2019, but it felt like a stone instead of a feather.”
Gary Tan added a slanted smile: “He’s a superstar; if he’s not feeling it today, we’ll make sure his next race is a blockbuster.”
Yu Mengyu’s Parallel Play
While Schooling hit a low point, fellow Singaporean Yu Mengyu staged a showdown against world No. 2 Mima Ito in the bronze‑medal play‑off. Yu got knocked 4‑1, yet her spirit shone: she even took the first game.
- She survived an 4‑0 semi‑final loss to China’s Chen Meng.
- Her hustle earned her a 6‑11, 11‑8, 11‑7, 11‑7, 11‑6 series that impressed even the sadder spectators.
- She noted the weight of expectations—”I’m a little too proud of myself to perform,” she chuckled, “but I wanted a medal for National Day.”
The Aftermath
Singapore lost two top hopefuls at the Games, with Schooling and Yu’s results dampening prospects in Tokyo. Yet the country’s guiding mantra remains: “If one doesn’t reach the goal, we go back to the drawing board.”
Future Forward
From the sidelines, Schooling’s teammates and coaches insist that this fluke is just a bump on the road. 2019‑2020 training has sharpened him; now it’s a matter of finding that “spark” again. He’s not finished—solar‑powered motivation, here you come!
