Unrivaled swimming specialist Joseph Isaac Skooling became a real hero of his country after a sensational victory over Michael Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Before that Singapore did not know the taste of Olympic victories, and a twenty-year-old student from the University of Texas became the national pride of the city-state of Southeast Asia.
Photo with an idol
One of the stars of modern swimming is Joseph Isaac Scooling. He was born in Singapore in 1995. His family was of mixed Anglo-Chinese descent. At home, the boy studied at the Anglo-Chinese school, where he began to engage in swimming.
Like all young swimmers, the idol of the Singaporean was Michael Phelps, who regularly collected gold medals at the Olympic Games. In 2008, a curious meeting of the thirteen-year-old Skouling and Phelps took place. The American athlete came to Singapore to participate in the next competition and here was photographed as a keepsake with a young fan, who was a Singaporean boy who was engaged in the same pool.
To further develop swimming skills, Joseph Isaac Scooling in 2008 decided to move to the United States, where he began to study at a boarding school in Florida. The teenager progressed rapidly and at a young age began to represent his homeland at major international competitions.
Joseph Isaac Scooling Gold
Swimmer's first successes are related to the Southeast Asian Games in 2011. Here, a member of the Singapore national swimming team Joseph Isaac Scooling won four medals at once, two of which were gold. In 2012, a seventeen-year-old teenager went to his first Olympics, which took place in London, but did not even enter the top twenty.
Singapore's hope Joseph Isaac Scooling did not lose heart and worked hard in training, achieving the right to a sports scholarship at the University of Texas. The swimmer had a great pre-Olympic cycle, collecting awards at the Asian Games, and in 2015 won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Kazan, having perfectly passed the 100m butterfly stroke distance.
Joseph did not go to the Olympics in Rio, not a “green” junior, but a well-established athlete, showing excellent results at his crown distance.
Before the Olympic finals of the 100-meter butterfly, all experts unanimously put forward the victory of 22-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps, who showed the best time in the preliminary races. Few believed that the American would miss another victory, but that day Joseph Scooling did not miss his chance and in a dramatic fight ahead of his idol, having won the first gold of the Olympics in the history of Singapore.
Interesting Facts
In order for the best swimmer in the country to properly prepare for the Rio Olympics, the Singapore government allowed him to postpone his compulsory two-year military service. Joseph Isaac Skooling received a grant of one million dollars from the state for winning the Games.
On the athlete’s shoulder is a bull tattoo with the words “Come and conquer”.
Before filling the picture, an obedient teenager asked permission from his parents. Joseph's girl is studying at the same university as him. Casey Schomaker also plays sports and shows good results in athletics.