The pride of Singapore Joseph Schooling — who worked his way to the top of the podium at the Rio 2016 Olympics — has lived in the United States since he was 14. But for a short period in the lead-up to the Asian Games this year, the 23 year-old was in Singapore to train with his teammates at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.
The climate is notably and certainly different than where he’s based in Texas, but the Sportsman of the Year — for the fifth time no less — has grown accustomed to his fairly new training ground. “Overall, the pool feels great, and the facility is neat and clean. I’ve gotten used to swimming back here,” says the current Olympic record holder in the Men’s 100m Butterfly event. “Swimming at the Aquatic Centre is something that I am comfortable with and I can see myself doing in the long term.”
But for now, his eyes are on the Asian Games in Jakarta. “I’m excited and confident of how this year’s Asian Games is going to turn out. I’m pumped for the relays and myself individually,” he says. “This year, I’m getting some good training, have a good pace, so right now I’m just fine-tuning the smaller details and getting ready for the race.” While Schooling would not divulge the number of gold medals he’s gunning for, he hopes that this meet contributes to the positive trend towards Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Schooling lets in, “I’m okay with starting slow, as this is after all a four year- long process. So I would be happy as long there is a positive progression towards that. It’s the best way to set myself up.”
(Photo courtesy of TAG Heuer)
