Singapore’s golden boy and only Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, is about to make waves once again.
Singapore’s 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal hero will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) later this year, becoming the first Singaporean to achieve this honour.
He now joins an elite league that includes Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, seven-time Olympic champion Mark Spitz, and Japan’s swimming legend Kosuke Kitajima.
The ISHOF’s Class of 2025 will feature 11 honourees from nine countries, including luminaries like US Olympians Anthony Ervin and Ryan Lochte, as well as Italian swimming sensation Federica Pellegrini.
It’s also a first for inductees from Kuwait, India, and Tunisia – a truly global celebration of aquatic excellence.
The 60th Anniversary Honoree Induction Ceremony will be held in Singapore on July 28, in conjunction with the World Aquatics World Championships.
The event will take place at the Park Royal Collection at Marina Bay, marking another proud moment for Singapore’s sporting scene.
Schooling’s legendary status was sealed with his gold medal triumph in the 100m butterfly at the 2016 Rio Games.
His jaw-dropping time of 50.39 seconds not only dethroned his childhood idol Phelps but also set a new Olympic record.
Over the years, Schooling has rewritten Singapore’s record books, holding eight national records–six in individual events and two in relays.
In April 2023, Schooling announced his retirement, signaling the end of an era but the start of new adventures.
“I was ready to do something else. I didn’t get the excitement that I had waking up at four years old … I was still grinding through the possibilities of making it to Paris (2024 Summer Olympics). I’d always told myself that I’d finish when I was 29,” Schooling told CNA last year.
But don’t expect him to fade from the limelight.
There is speculation about his possible involvement in politics, and with the General Elections looking, all eyes are now on the swim champion on whether he will take a new plunge.
PHOTO: SSA/2016