Quah Ting Wen defends brother, lashes back at 'keyboard warriors'

Quah Ting Wen defends brother, lashes back at 'keyboard warriors'

Swimmer Quah Ting Wen has lashed back at "naysayers and the keyboard warriors" who made scathing remarks about her and her brother Quah Zheng Wen after they were criticised for their performance at the Rio Olympics.

While it was not made public, the lengthy Facebook post by Ting Wen, 24, was shared as two screenshots by minister Tan Chuan Jin, who used her note to empathise with and encourage athletes "battling in the arena, and yet (are) being attacked from behind by the keyboard typists".

In her post, the elder sister of Zheng Wen defended her 19-year-old brother's decision to not speak to the press after losing two races.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/TanChuanJin1/posts/1188086151234158[/embed]

"My brother never denied the reporters of an interview. There were just more important things to be taken care of first," she wrote.

She added: "Lactic testing, recovery nutrition, warm down swim, reflection with the coach. He had another event coming up. That took priority over all else, including the 'obligation' of speaking to the media."

Ting Wen knows the feeling all too well, as she too, had refused interviews after failing to qualify for the women's 100-metre butterfly semi-finals. Channel NewsAsia reported that Singapore's only female swimmer was in tears and seen sobbing.

Last week, The New Paper's Leonard Thomas criticised Zheng Wen for choosing to stay silent.

"I just wished he stood up to face questions instead of walking off. Because at this level, that is what athletes do," Thomas wrote in the Aug 9 article after Quah finished seventh in the men's 100m backstroke heats.

The article drew a large amount of criticism from netizens, most of whom supported Quah and empathised with his state of mind after losing a race. However, there were a handful who also lambasted his actions and questioned the Quahs' sporting performance.

In her post this week, Ting Wen fired back at those critics, who accused her of being "rude and aloof" and having "poor upbringing".

"They can say what they like, and I hope it gives them the tiny bit of satisfaction they are so desperately seeking," she said, adding that swimming is a passion for her.

"I am the Olympian. I am the one they are trying to tear down, not vice versa. And I can brush that dirt off knowing who I am and being proud of that."

ljessica@sph.com.sg

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