Meet the Fantastic Four: S’pore’s medal hopefuls at the upcoming Paralympics

Singapore is sending its biggest contingent to the Paralympics this year, with 13 athletes in six sports flying the Republic’s flag in Rio de Janeiro. 
Adelene Wong and Noah Tan (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) highlight four Team Singapore para-athletes to watch during the Sept 7 to 18 Games.

YIP PIN XIU

Swimming

100m Backstroke S2 (straight finals): Sept 10, 4.49am, Singapore time

50m Backstroke S2 (straight finals): Sept 16, 6.52am

All eyes will be on the poster girl of Singapore para-sports, who is in red-hot form as she approached the Rio Paralympics.

As Singapore’s first and only Paralympics gold medallist (2008 Paralympics, 50m backstroke S3), and the holder of two world records, Yip Pin Xiu is the Republic’s best medal chance.

And she is bang on form. Just four months ago, at the IPC European Open Championships in Portugal, the 24-year-old obliterated the world record in the 100m backstroke S2 by more than six seconds (2min 9.79secs). The Singaporean also added another world record (1min 0.64secs) in the 50m backstroke S2.

The 2016 Paralympics also hold added significance for Yip, who is in a race against time as she battles the progressive weakening of her muscles.

Yip has muscular dystrophy, and is gradually losing some fuctions of her hands.

“I worry about my condition,” she said. “I really try my best to not let it deteriorate, so if it does, I will just have to adapt to it.

“Am I thinking of repeating my gold medal feat (from the 2008 Paralympics)? It’ll be nice if I could.”

JOVIN TAN

Sailing

SKUD18 (race 1-11): Sept 12 - Sept 18

The story of Jovin Tan’s pursuit in sailing is a heartbreaking one.

The wheelchair-bound Tan, who was born with cerebral palsy, has an ill-tempered father. Tan’s parents are now divorced and he lives with his mother.

“I started sailing at age 15, and used it as an escape from my abusive father,” Tan, 30, told TODAY. “I wanted to get out and make more friends too, because at that time, I didn’t have that chance to leave the house to see the world outside.”

Tan never expected that what started out as a welcome reprieve, would see him represent Singapore in the sport.

Heading into his fourth Paralympics, he has a new sailing partner in Yap Qian Yin.

“Our goal is to go there and enjoy the racing, and minimise our mistakes. We want to do our best,” he said.

LAURENTIA TAN

Equestrian

Team test, Grade 1A: Sept 13, 12am onwards

Individual championship test, Grade 1A: Sept 15, 11.45pm

Individual freestyle test, Grade 1A: Sept 17, 1.10am

Laurentia Tan is Singapore’s most decorated Paralympian, with four Paralympic medals (three bronzes and a silver) from the 2008 and 2012 Games.

Heading into her third Paralympics this year, the 37-year-old — who developed cerebral palsy and profound deafness after birth — has been posting good results at recent competitions, earning one gold and two silver medals at the International Para-Equestrian Dressage Competition in Waregem, Belgium in April.

At what is the second major European international para-equestrian dressage event of the year, which drew 71 riders from 20 countries, the Singaporean triumphed in the Grade 1A individual event, and came in second in the Grade 1A freestyle and team test events.

“It is always an honour and privilege to represent Singapore around the world and to put the country on the equestrian sporting map,” Tan told www.paralympic.org. “The support of Singaporeans inspires and helps me focus on my strong belief that we cannot reach and achieve our potential without pushing and testing ourselves.”

SUHAIRI BIN SUHANI

Athletics

Men’s long jump, T20: Sept 11, 9.48pm onwards

At just 19, long-jumper Suhairi Suhani is the youngest para-athlete in the 13-strong Team Singapore contingent who will be competing at the Rio Paralympic Games.

But do not let his youth fool you. The F20 long-jumper, who is intellectually disabled, may be a debutant but it has not stopped him from dreaming of winning a medal in Rio.

“My main aim in Rio is to achieve my personal best (PB) result,” said Suhairi, who recorded his PB of 6.66m en route to winning silver at last year’s Asean Para Games. “But who knows, I may be able to win a medal there and if I do, that will be wonderful for Singapore.”

“I’m definitely capable of performing much better than my current PB,” added Suhairi, who qualified for the Paralympics after winning silver at last year’s Asean Para Games. “In fact, I’ve been consistently beating my PB during training.”

Under the guidance of former Singapore Athletics (SA) technical director C.Veeramani and ex-national sprinter Muhammad Hosni, Suhairi increased his training frequency to six times a week — up from four — since December in preparation for the Paralympics.

Suhairi’s undoubted potential, combined with his unwavering dedication to the sport, has led Hosni to predict a bright future for his charge.

“He is very talented, he has all the right physical attributes, the right attitude and I’m sure he’ll be able to go very far,” said the coach.

OTHER TEAM SINGAPORE PARA-ATHLETES IN ACTION

ARCHERY

Nur Syahidah Binte Alim (Women’s individual compound open, Sept 11, 2am & Sept 16, 8pm)

ATHLETICS

Norsilawati Binte Sa’at (Women’s 400m, T52: Sept 10, 10.04pm/ Women’s 100m, T52: Sept 17, 10.05pm)

Muhammad Diroy Bin Noordin (Men’s javelin, F41: Sept 11, 9.55pm/ Men’s shot put, F40: Sept 16, 9.45pm)

BOCCIA

Nurulasyiqah Taha & Toh Sze Ning (BC3 pairs, Sept 10-13/ BC3 individual, Sept 13-16)

EQUESTRIAN

Maximillian Tan (Team test, Grade 1B: Sept 12, 1am onwards/ Individual championship test, Grade 1B: Sept 15, 1am onwards)

Gemma Foo (Team test, Grade 1A: Sept 13, 12am onwards/ Individual championship test, Grade 1A: Sept 15, 11.45pm onwards/ Individual freestyle test, Grade 1A: Sept 17, 1.10am onwards)

SWIMMING

Theresa Goh (200m freestyle S5 Heats - Sept 8, 10.43pm; Finals - Sept 9, 7.08am/ 100m breaststroke SB4 Heats - Sept 11, 10.27pm; Finals - Sept 12, 7.04am/ 50m freestyle S5 Heats: Sept 12, 11.01pm; Finals: Sept 13, 7.35am)

*Catch the live action on International Paralympic Committee (IPC) website www.paralympic.org