SINGAPORE: Singapore will be represented by 23 athletes across 11 sports at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games.
The latest athlete to join the Team Singapore contingent in Paris is sprinter Marc Brian Louis, who received his confirmation from the World Athletics a week ago.
During the official flag presentation ceremony held at the National Youth Sports Institute On July 6, Team Singapore sailor Ryan Lo and sprinter Shanti Pereira were unveiled as the flag bearers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while para swimmer Toh Wei Soong was revealed as the flag bearer for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“It is a great honour to be given this opportunity to be a flag bearer together with Shanti for Singapore. It gives me an immense feeling of pride and also gratitude to be able to represent Singapore on one of the sporting biggest stages.
I am looking forward to embracing the challenge of the Paris Olympics while soaking in the experience of this unique event,” said sailor Lo, who will be competing in his second Olympic Games campaign.
WOMEN’S TEAM RELAY – QUAH TING WEN’S OMISSION
There was a notable change in the aquatics line-up in the official Team Singapore athletes list released earlier in the month.
Quah Ting Wen had been omitted and replaced by Gan Ching Wee in the women’s 4x100m medley relay team, alongside Letitia Sim, Levinia Sim and Quah Jing Wen.
Ting Wen was part of the team that secured a historic Olympic qualification for a relay spot.
Together with her sister Jing Wen and siblings Letitia and Levinia, the quartet finished in ninth place during the World Championship in Doha in February.
According to World Aquatics regulations, two relay-only swimmers are permitted.
However, when Gan earned an Olympic Consideration Time (OCT) – also known as a “B” cut – of 16:10.61 in the women’s 1,500m freestyle in June, Singapore Aquatics faced a difficult decision.
Letitia is the only other team member to have achieved the Olympic Qualifying Time (A cut), securing her a direct spot in Paris.
Consequently, Singapore Aquatics faces a daunting decision: to select one of the following three relay swimmers – Ting Wen, Jing Wen or Levinia to relinquish their spot.
With Singapore Aquatics opting to omit Ting Wen in place of Gan, the Singapore women’s relay team now has two relay-only swimmers for the Olympics – Levinia and Jing Wen. Both Letittia and Gan will be competing in other individual events in Paris.
SINGAPORE “SPRINT QUEEN” QUALIFIED FOR 100M AND 200M
Shanti Pereira, one of Team Singapore’s flag bearers, was initially slated to compete in the 200m event, having secured qualification through the Olympic entry standard.
However, in a thrilling turn of events, she received confirmation from World Athletics that she had also qualified for the 100m sprint, thanks to her impressive world rankings.
Pereira, affectionately known as Singapore’s Sprint Queen, is ranked 42nd in the women’s 100m Race to Paris rankings.
A total of 52 athletes qualified for the 100m event, with the top 27 athletes based on the Olympic entry standard, while the remaining 29 spots were allocated to athletes based on their world rankings.
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The sprinter and Singapore’s flag bearer for the 2024 Olympic Games said, “I am extremely honoured to be carrying the Singapore flag at the opening ceremony in Paris.
The Olympics is the biggest stage for us and I’m proud to be leading my fellow team Singapore athletes at the opening ceremony, signifying the start of what will be a very special time for all of us.”
Pereira currently holds the national record for 100m, 200m, and 400m, with a timing of 11.20 seconds, 22.57 seconds, and 53.67 seconds, respectively.
She had a stellar year in 2023, where she became the first Singaporean woman to win the 100m and 200m events at the Southeast Asian Games. She also won the sprint double at the Asian Athletics Championships less than two months later.
In the same year, Shanti won Singapore’s first athletics medals at the Asian Games since 1974, clinching the gold medal in the 200m and silver medal in the 100m.
LIST OF TEAM SINGAPORE ATHLETES AT 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
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Of the 23 confirmed Team Singapore athletes bound for Paris, only eight have prior Olympic Games experience.
They are Pereira (athletics), Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min (both badminton), Caroline Chew (equestrian), Kira Tikanah and Amita Marie (both fencing), Saiyidah Aisyah (rowing) and Ryan Lo (sailing).
“Our Paris-bound athletes have worked hard and earned their place amongst the world’s best. They represent the best of Singapore, and I am sure they will represent us well.
They continue a strong legacy of Singapore Olympians, and I am sure they will bring us to greater heights,” expressed Tan Wearn Haw, Chef de Mission for Team Singapore at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Among the debutants is golfer Shannon Tan, who will make history by being the first Singaporean in her sport to compete at the quadrennial event.
The three table tennis players who will make their debut at the Games are 18-year-old Isaac Quek, 19-year-old Zhou Jingyi, and Zeng Jian (27).
The husband-and-wife pairing Terry Hee and Jessica Tan will also compete in their first Olympic Games in the badminton mixed doubles competition.
Not forgetting Singapore’s rising star and world champion, Maximilian Maeder, who will be one of the medal contenders as kitefoil makes its debut in the Games.
Team Singapore Contingent for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Athletics: Shanti Pereira
Badminton: Loh Kean Yew, Terry Hee Yong Kai, Yeo Jia Min, Jessica Tan Wei Han
Canoe Sprint: Chen Jiexian Stephenie
Equestrian: Caroline Chew Pei Jia
Fencing: Kiria Tikanah, Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier
Golf: Shannon Tan Xuan Yin
Rowing: Saiyidah Aisyah
Sailing: Ryan Lo, Maximilian Maeder
Shooting: Teh Xiu Hong
Swimming: Jonathan Tan Eu Jin, Letitia Sim, Levinia Sim, Quah Jing Wen, Gan Ching Hwee
Table Tennis: Isaac Quek, Zeng Jian, Zhou Jingyi
Main photo credit: SNOC / Kong Chong Yew