Southeast Asian Athletes to the Olympics Updates

Walsh set the Southeast Asian record in the 200 meters butterfly stroke by one minute and 59.39 seconds and ended up first in his heat. Aside from being the first Filipino to swim under the two-minute barrier, he is also the first Southeast Asian to do so.

“He has brought the SEA Games record to a new level,” PASA president Mark Joseph said.

On Monday, Walsh ended up 29th of 44 aspirants. Michael Phelps of the US emerged on top of the qualifiers with an Olympic record-breaking time.

On the other hand, another Philippine record was broken courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz. She surpassed her qualifying total (186) in women’s 58kg weightlifting.

Southeast Asia’s Most Valuble Player Miguel Molina is the next RP swimmer to see action in the 200m breaststroke heats.

Oh....OK

wah so long then I realised this thread

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, August 12

Singapore's Olympic swimming medal hopeful Tao Li on Monday finished in fifth place in the women’s 100—metre butterfly finals.

The 18—year—old, who advanced to the finals on Sunday with an Asian record of 57.54 seconds in her heat, failed to top the record with a timing of 57.99 seconds in the finals.

Australia’s Lisbeth Trickett won the gold with a timing of 56.73 seconds, the second fastest timing in the history of the sport.
American Christine Magnuson took silver, while another Australian, Jessicah Schipper came in third.

Although Tao Li did not win a medal, her spirited effort won praise from the sports fraternity in Singapore on Monday.

Amanda Lim, swimmer at the Singapore Sports School, said: "There is a little disappointment, but as I said, final A for Olympics is not easy and she is ranked 5th. Although she did not meet her target of getting a bronze medal, I still think she did very well."

Tao Li’s achievement was also applauded by those gathered at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) to catch the live telecast of the women’s 100—metre butterfly finals on MediaCorp’s Channel 5.

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, said: "It has been an incredible performance. She is the first Singaporean to make it to an Olympic finals. To emerge 5th in this field — a very strong field — is a great result."
Over at the Singapore Sports Council, about a hundred staff had also gathered to cheer the teen on in her quest and to pay tribute to the whole team behind her rise to the Olympic stage.

Oon Jin Teik, CEO of the Singapore Sports Council, said: "I want to thank the people who made this possible... The Singapore Sports School gave a conducive environment for her to excel."

Tao Li is also competing in the 200—metre butterfly event, but the Singapore Swimming Association said she is not expected to perform well in that race.

The good news is, at 18 years of age, Tao Li has another ten years to perform on the international stage.

— CNA/yb/so


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Olympics: Singapore swimmer Tao Li qualifies for 100m butterfly final
By Channel NewsAsia's Dominique Loh in Beijing | Posted: 10 August 2008 1259 hrs


BEIJING: It has been a good day for Singapore athletes at the Beijing Olympics.

Swimmer Tao Li has qualified for the 100m butterfly finals. Badminton pair Li Yujia and Jiang Yanmei have also won their opening match.

In the 100m butterfly heats, swimmer Tao Li qualified for the finals in style. She reclaimed her Asian record with a time of 57.54 seconds. Tao Li is the fourth fastest qualifier and has a realistic shot at a medal.

"Yesterday was my best time, I did only 57 (seconds), it's really good, but today I improved again. It's so good for me. It just feels great in the water," she said.

- CNA/ir

LOL cam..!

Wow, Cam. That news is so fresh

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, September 16


BEIJING: She was nursing a sore throat, but the only thing Yip Pin Xiu wanted to do just before she launched herself into the water at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing on Monday was to empty her mind.

Coach Ang Peng Siong was familiar with his swimmer’s routine and kept his instructions to a minimum.

The strategy paid off spectacularly as the 16—year—old became the first Singapore athlete to win gold at the Paralympic Games when she touched home first in the 50m backstroke (S3).

Pin Xiu, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, touched the wall first in 58.75 seconds, finishing a whopping 7.32 seconds faster than silver medallist Fran Williamson of Great Britain (1:06.07), with Xia Jiangbo of China coming in third (1:07.97).

The Singapore star was clearly primed for gold, after breaking her own world record in the morning heats with a time of 57.92 seconds, bettering her previous mark of 1:00.80 set at the US Paralympic Games in April.

Pin Xiu’s stunning achievement ensured the strains of Majulah Singapura were heard for the first time at the Paralympics or Olympic Games.

In a phone interview on Monday night, the Secondary 4 student at Bendemeer Secondary School said: "I didn’t think of anything during my race, because I swim better when my mind is a blank.

"Even Uncle Siong (coach Ang) knows this and didn’t really give me too many instructions. He let me swim my race.

"I just went out there and swam."

Pin Xiu’s feat comes a month to the day after the Singapore women’s table tennis team bagged the country’s first Olympic medal in 48 years, when they beat South Korea in the semi—finals in Beijing.

And on Monday — Sept 15 — Singapore won its first—ever Paralympic Games gold medal.

It is her second medal of the 13th Paralympic Games, following her silver in the 50m freestyle (S3) on Saturday.

The teenager was grateful for all the help from the Singapore Disability Sports Council and the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC), and reserved special praise for coach Ang, team—mate Theresa Goh, and her parents, dad Yip Chee Khiong and mum Margaret Chong.

Pin Xiu and Goh had taken Sunday afternoon off to go to Beijing’s Silk Street with coach Ang to get her mind off swimming.

"A lot of athletes tend to do better when they’re relaxed, that was why we took them out to get their minds off swimming for a while," said Ang, 45, a two—time Olympian.

"The entire Team Singapore delegation, including the doctors, physiotherapists and sports psychologists, all did a good job in keeping the mood light—hearted.

"Pin Xiu tends to do better in a relaxed environment."
Pin Xiu’s parents didn’t talk to their daughter before the race for fear of piling the pressure on her.

"We saw her a few days ago and she said she wanted a gold medal," said Margaret, a senior officer at Singapore Airlines.

"But we didn’t say anything more because we didn’t want to put undue pressure on her. We’re so happy that she has fulfilled her dream."

While the Games end on Wednesday, Singapore’s six athletes have completed all their events and will return home on Thursday with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, through equestrian dressage rider Laurentia Tan.

Under the SNPC’s Athlete Achievement Awards scheme, Pin Xiu will receive $100,000 for her gold medal, while Tan, 29, will win $25,000.

— TODAY

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