Famed US swim coach Reese set to join S'pore Olympic team

SINGAPORE — Legendary collegiate swim coach Eddie Reese, the three-time United States Olympics head coach of the men’s swimming team, is set to join Team Singapore at the Rio Olympic Games next month. 

TODAY understands that the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) has included Reese — who is head coach of swimming at the University of Texas (UT) — in its Rio-bound coaching staff for the Olympic Games, alongside national head coach Sergio Lopez and technical director Sonya Michelle Porter. 

His inclusion will be a huge boost for Singapore national swimmer and UT sophomore Joseph Schooling, who is aiming to win a first-ever medal in swimming for Singapore at the Rio Olympics. Schooling has qualified for the men’s 100m and 200m fly, 100m and 200m freestyle.

Schooling, who is now in Texas training under Reese, told TODAY: "This is great for Singapore, Eddie is really experienced and having him on our side is phenomenal. I’m excited to go to the Olympics with two of my coaches (Reese and Lopez). This could not have turned out better."

Schooling’s mother, May, who moved to his apartment in Texas to help him prepare for the Olympics, was delighted to hear of Eddie’s possible inclusion in the swim team.

“Eddie being included will strengthen Joseph’s support in his mental and physical preparation for Rio,” she said. “Eddie will (now) be with him training all the way to Rio and can put the final touches to his training and tapering.

“If Eddie had joined USA (swim team), he will leave tomorrow morning and Joseph will have to train on his own and that might not be the best solution. So now, we are relieved that Eddie will be there all the way to monitor and guide him in his final preparations.”

The much-decorated Reese, who led UT to 12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team titles, has been voted NCAA Coach of the Year eight times. 

He had initially been included by USA Swimming in its national team coaches roster last year. But Reese has since been omitted from the 2016 US Olympic swim team, led by men’s head coach Bob Bowman, leaving Reese available to work with the Singapore swim team.

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) confirmed on Monday (July 11) that it had submitted Reese’s application for accreditation. 

Reese, 74, has played a crucial role in Schooling’s success since the 21-year-old joined UT’s swim team last year. Under his guidance, Schooling powered to a bronze medal finish — a first for Singapore — at last year’s FINA World Swimming Championships in Kazan, before notching a shock win over American swim legend Michael Phelps in the men’s 100m butterfly at last month’s Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite. 

The 21-year-old’s time of 51.58s in the 100m fly currently ranks him 13th in the world, with Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh (50.86s), and Americans Phelps (51.00s) and Tom Shields (51.20s) leading the field in the top three.  

Team Singapore will field a team of three swimmers for the Olympic Games from Aug 5 to 21, with Schooling and siblings Quah Zheng Wen and Ting Wen — who earned a universality place — to represent the Republic in Rio.