One of Singapore’s nicknames, ‘Little Red Dot’, exists for a reason. Although very successful, the nation’s measly population of 5.5 million means that Singapore is given limited global attention. Joseph Schooling propelled the Little Red Dot to the grandest stage of them all – a spot on the highest podium in the 2016 Olympics.
The day before the finals, Singapore was unusually calm. Nobody could quite believe that 21 year old Joseph Schooling could have a shot at bringing home Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal. While in the car, I heard one radio host say “I hope that the color of the medal he brings home doesn’t determine how proud we are of him”. Singaporean’s were happy enough that Schooling made the finals of the 100m butterfly, but competition such as the most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps and Chad le Clos almost muffled the hype.
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But when Schooling dove into the pool with the quickest reaction time, swimming his heart out as he edged further and further from his competitors, every Singaporean held their breath. It was only when Schooling touched the wall when we all went ecstatic.
As Joseph Schooling towered over everyone else on the gold medal podium, as the Singaporean national anthem started to play, the citizens of Singapore felt an unparalleled sense of pride. The Little Red Dot, finally on the map. And with Singapore’s National Day approaching, the sense of patriotism was at an all time high.
Controversies that have plagued Schooling
Every champion has their ups and downs, regardless of what sport they are competing in, and Joseph Schooling is no different. In the London 2012 Olympics, riding the nation’s hopes, he suffered a major setback. Officials discovered that Schooling’s swimming cap and goggles failed to meet the Olympics regulations. Being forced to change his cap and goggles at the last minute, his mindset was clearly tampered with, and he did not advance from the 200m fly heats.
This left Schooling frustrated, but he vowed to bounce back, telling the Team Singapore Website “They told me that I couldn’t use the cap and goggles and that probably messed up my race. But I’m not making any excuses. It’s a learning experience. I’m only 17 and I have a long way to go.”
But Schooling’s race to the top had more challenges in store. It is crazy to think that Schooling’s fairy tale may have been over before it began. At the age of 18, all Singaporean males must do National Service, a two year period where they must be part of the uniformed services. Even though the Singaporean government offered Schooling to do training for six months and then head back to the States to train, Schooling and his family were convinced that this would negatively impact his training for Rio 2016.
This was an issue that plagued the paper for many weeks, with people having divided opinions. Authorities from the U.S also tried to convince officials to allow Schooling to delay his National Service requirements, such as Gregg Troy, who was the USA men’s head coach at the time. Schooling’s mother, May, said “If you represent the country and make people stand for your flag, you’re doing ‘national service.”
Eventually, Schooling was allowed to train undisturbed for the Rio Olympics, and would then go to Singapore to do the complete two years of National Service. It is up for debate whether the decision was the right one or not, and this certainly mounted more pressure on the young Schooling, but there is no denying that the decision paid off and brought Singapore glory.
A lesson to be taken from Rio
Joseph Schooling’s story will be etched in our memories for a long time, and for many reasons. Firstly, an underdog victory is always a pleasant surprise, and few expected Joseph Schooling to trump the likes of Michael Phelps. But it is also an important story in terms of encouraging Singapore, and other small countries, to excel in sport.
Phelps also had his say on the Singaporean star, saying “Watching Joe and everything he’s done over the last two years, he’s been swimming great,” Phelps added. “A 50.3 is obviously a very good time, a very respectable time. My hat’s off to him.”
During a turbulent Rio 2016, the success of Joseph Schooling and the pride he has given to his country is one of the more heartwarming stories. Will Schooling’s success fuel the expansion of the Little Red dot into a large circle?
