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Quah cool to world championships pressure

SINGAPORE — Just last month, national swimmer Quah Zheng Wen’s fledgling career was handed a huge boost, when the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) granted his application for long-term deferment from full-time National Service (NS).

Quah is pencilled in for nine events — including four individual events in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200m butterfly — at the world championships. TODAY File Photo

Quah is pencilled in for nine events — including four individual events in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200m butterfly — at the world championships. TODAY File Photo

SINGAPORE — Just last month, national swimmer Quah Zheng Wen’s fledgling career was handed a huge boost, when the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) granted his application for long-term deferment from full-time National Service (NS).

The 18-year-old had vowed to repay the faith shown in him, and the up-and-coming young swimmer will get a chance to do that when the swimming programme of the FINA World Championships kicks off in Kazan, Russia, tomorrow.

The July 24 to Aug 9 event is Quah’s first competitive meet since the news of his deferment, but while he is aware that Singaporeans will be watching his every move, he is not letting the pressure get to him.

Quah is pencilled in for nine events — including four individual events in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200m butterfly — at the world championships, and he is ready to take on the world’s best swimmers in what is regarded as the biggest swimming meet after the Olympic Games.

Speaking to TODAY in a phone interview from Kazan, Quah — who was the SEA Games’ most bemedalled athlete with 12 medals — said: “I hope I can get PBs (personal bests), make the semis and then finals, but coming out of the SEA Games, and the NS issue, things were a bit uncertain.

“But I wouldn’t say anything much has changed because I give my 100 per cent all the time. Now I know that it (NS deferment) is a done deal, it is all up to me now. There’s no pressure, and if there is, it is only from the expectations I have of myself.”

He will begin his world championships quest in the 4x100m freestyle relay tomorrow, before competing in the 100m backstroke on Monday. Quah has already met the Olympic “A” mark in the men’s 200m butterfly for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, and he wants to add the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly to the list. In his Olympic debut in London in 2012, Quah competed in the 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley, but did not advance past the heats.

“I think for the 2012 Olympics, I didn’t really know what I wanted out of the Games, but now I have a clearer idea of what I want, and I am going in with a clearer mindset, and with certain goals in place,” he added.

National coach Sergio Lopez is hopeful that the world meet will inspire Quah to do better, as he said: “He (Quah) needs to understand that this is where he belongs, on the world stage and this experience will help him for next year’s Olympics.”

Team Singapore has an 11-strong squad at the Championships, with the team also including Asian Games gold medallist Joseph Schooling, elder sister Quah Ting Wen and veteran Tao Li. The first day of the meet tomorrow will see Schooling competing in the 50m butterfly heats, with the Singaporeans also in action in the women’s 100m butterfly, men’s and women’s 400m freestyle, and men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay events.

Singapore’s swim sensation Schooling, who won nine gold medals at June’s SEA Games, has set a target of winning medals in all three individual events — the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly — in Russia, but Lopez claims it is no lofty target.

“For Joseph to medal, it is feasible. He is at that level to do so,” he said. “The 50m fly is a bit tougher than the 100m and 200m fly events because one mistake and you are out of the race, but he has a good chance.”

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