Team Sports School Debutants Shine At Tokyo 2020
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Photo Credit: Sport Singapore
From thrilling showdowns to sailing their way into the medal race, Singapore Sports School’s eight present and past student-athletes showed their grit in their debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games held from 23 July to 8 August.
Let us recap the best moments of Veronica Shanti Pereira (Athletics), Loh Kean Yew, Yeo Jia Min (both badminton), Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier (Fencing), Chantal Liew Li-Shan (Marathon Swimming), Cecilia Low Rui Qi (Sailing), Adele Tan Qian Xiu (Shooting), and Clarence Chew Zhe Yu (Table Tennis).
Veronica Shanti Pereira, Athletics
Age: 24
Event: Women’s 200m
Sprinter Shanti Pereira clocked a season’s best time of 23.96s in the Women’s 200m heats.
Loh Kean Yew, Badminton
Age: 24
Event: Men’s Singles
Shuttler Loh Kean Yew, World No. 42, was off to a great start as he defeated IOC Refugee Olympic Team’s Aram Mahmoud 2-0 (21-15, 21-12) in the Group Stage of the Badminton Men’s Singles. He then battled fiercely against World No. 7, Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, in his second group stage match. Jonatan won the match 2-1 (22-20, 13-21, 21-18).
Yeo Jia Min, Badminton
Age: 22
Event: Women’s Singles
Fellow shuttler Yeo Jia Min, World No. 30, too, had a smooth-sailing first match, as she ousted her opponent, Mexico’s Haramara Gaitan, with a score of 2-0 (21-7, 21-10). In the next group stage match, however, she was knocked out by Korea’s World No. 18, Kim Gaeun, 2-1 (21-13, 21-14).
Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier, Fencing
Age: 20
Event: Women’s Foil
Fencer Amita Berthier, at World No. 60 faced off with USA’s Lee Kiefer, World No. 5, in the Women’s Individual Foil event at Table of 32. Kiefer is a three-time Olympian and her experience saw her beating Amita 15-4. Amita did not advance to the next round, the Table of 16.
Chantal Liew Li-Shan, Marathon Swimming
Age: 22
Event: Women’s 10km Marathon
Open water swimmer Chantal Liew conquered the waves to clock 2hr 8min 17.9sec, and finished 23rd out of 25 at the Women’s 10km Marathon Swimming. Chantal was 8:47s away from the winning time, an improvement from her Olympic qualification event where she finished 10:24s behind the winner.
Cecilia Low Rui Qi, Sailing
Age: 30
Event: Women’s 49erFX
Sailor Cecilia Low and her partner Kimberly Lim, created history by becoming the first Singaporeans in the sport to qualify for the medal race at the Olympic Games. The duo finished a commendable 10th place in the Women's 49er FX after 13 races.
Adele Tan Qian Xiu, Shooting
Age: 22
Event: Women’s 10m Air Rifle
Shooter Adele Tan scored an impressive 625.3 points in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle event, finishing 21st out of 50 – the best finish by a Singaporean shooter in this Olympic event.
Clarence Chew Zhe Yu, Table Tennis
Age: 25
Event: Men’s Singles
Paddler Clarence Chew, World No. 186, achieved a 4-2 victory over Senegal’s World No. 71 Ibrahima Diaw in the Men’s Singles Round 1. In the next round, Clarence was up against world No. 44, Daniel Habesohn from Austria, and despite Clarence’s valiant attempts to keep pace, later lost the match 1-4 (7-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 10-12).
