Schooling ready to reach next level

In 51.69 seconds, everything changed.

In 51.69 seconds, Joseph Schooling went from hopeful teenager to Commonwealth Games medallist to a marked man at this year's Incheon Asian Games - at least in the butterfly event in swimming.

His 100m winning time for the silver medal, which was inferior only to world champion Chad le Clos' 51.29 effort, makes him among those to beat when the best in Asia take the plunge in the pool today to start the swimming programme.

"The Commonwealth silver changed everything," said the 19-year-old, who is making his Asiad debut.

"I was happy because it meant (my timing) was eighth in the world but it also left me wanting more."

It has been three decades since Ang Peng Siong won Singapore men's last Asiad swimming gold, in the 50m freestyle at the 1982 New Delhi Games.

But with Schooling's Commonwealth Games times in the 50m and 100m fly the best in Asia this year - his 23.43sec in the 50 fly equalled the Asian record - there is hope that the long drought could finally come to an end.

"I want to win an Asian Games gold medal. If I'm aiming for 2nd or 3rd place, I shouldn't even bother.

"Taking two weeks off school, there's a lot of work to catch up and winning is what I want to do."

With the likes of Olympic medallists Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen from China, Japan's Kosuke Hagino and Ryosuke Irie and hometown favourite Park Tae Hwan, the big three swimming nations are expected to snap up most of the 19 gold medals on offer once again.

At the 2010 Asiad, Tao Li's 50m butterfly title was the only swimming gold won by a swimmer outside China, Japan and South Korea.

Schooling acknowledges there is pressure but said his experiences in Glasgow have served him well.

He admitted that pressure got to him in Scotland, which saw him finish last in the 200m fly final, after a credible seventh place in the 50m fly final.

Said the University of Texas at Austin freshman: "I really felt the pressure at the Commonwealth Games for some reason. I just exploded. I kept thinking 'what if I fail, what if I don't achieve this'.

"Until the last moment, I said, let go, just have fun, forget about all this."

Although now under the wings of University of Texas swimming coach Eddie Reese, who was the head coach of the United States' 2008 Olympics squad, Schooling opted to train with former coach Sergio Lopez for the Asiad.

He said Lopez, who is based at The Bolles School in Florida, sent him training programmes online. "Eddie doesn't know how I taper yet so Sergio's the best to taper me now," said Schooling.

"I'm feeling better every day. I'm confident, strong, healthy and I'm just excited to race."

Besides Schooling, Lopez will also be behind Singapore's other main medal hopeful in the 17-swimmer contingent.

Tao, 24, is looking to bag a hat-trick of golds in the 50m fly though her task may prove a tough one. Her season-best time of 26.26sec clocked at the Commonwealth Games places her third in Asia this year, 0.32sec behind China swimmer Lu Ying's Asia-best time of 25.94sec.

But Lopez, who started coaching Tao in April remains optimistic.

He said: "She's getting stronger, she's coming into the Games in good form, and I'm confident she can clock a better time than she did at Glasgow."

This article was first published on September 21, 2014.
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