Seeking golden time in Incheon

INCHEON — Against a white backdrop in a cramped studio at Caldecott Hill, the athletes who agreed to be part of TODAY’s pre-Asian Games feature preened and posed.

Some relished the opportunity to unleash their inner superstar, whimsically hamming it up for the camera. Others were a lot more coy as they puzzled over a strange transformation that turned them from elite athletes into K-pop models, complete with wigs, dark eyeliner and fake eyelashes.

Twelve athletes took part in TODAY’s special pre-Asian Games feature, with the K-pop theme chosen to highlight a recent cultural phenomenon that has become as synonymous with South Korea as kimchi.

They represent the youth and vitality we collectively call Team Singapore, athletes who proudly wear the national flag on their chest, but as they tried to look the part of a K-pop star, these 12 — all stars in their own right — also represented the 227 Team Singapore athletes selected for Incheon.

TODAY took them out of their comfort zones to let the public see the other side of these sportspeople, and they showed us that they are, indeed, incredibly sporting.

K-pop turn complete, they are now fully focused on their moment on a stage that ranks second only to the Olympic Games in scale and stature. And for athletes in non-Olympic sports, the Asian Games is their pinnacle at a multi-sports meet.

Unused to the glare of the entertainment spotlight, the athletes now head to more familiar territory in Incheon’s swimming pools, sports halls and stadiums as the Asian Games kicks off with the opening ceremony at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium today.

Over the next 16 days, the best in Asia will be on show — the established stars hoping to further cement their reputations, while the up-and-coming ones hope for the breakout that heralds another milestone on their journey to the top of the world.

In Incheon, there is no bigger name than 2008 Olympic 400m freestyle gold medallist Park Tae-hwan. At the Munhak Aquatics Centre named after him, 51 gold medals will be decided, including 38 for swimming, 10 for diving and three for synchronised swimming.

Park came to prominence at the 2006 Doha Games and the 24-year-old now spearheads the host nation’s campaign in the pool, with his head-on battle against Chinese Olympic superstar Sun Yang already billed as a must-watch.

Others who made their marks at the Asiad before conquering the world stage include Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima in swimming, hammer thrower Koji Murofushi and Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang. Many more will undoubtedly emerge at these Incheon Games, as Tao Li did for Singapore in Doha, before hitting the heights at the Beijing Olympic Games and again at the Guangzhou Asiad.

While some have ruled Tao Li out after her poor form in recent years, the gutsy 24-year-old has always been an athlete for the big occasion, and her recent move to train in Florida signals that her focus is firmly on a hat-trick of Asian Games gold in the women’s 50m fly.

Also in the pool, budding star Joseph Schooling will be looking to make a splash against the best in Asia, after taking silver in the men’s 100m fly at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow seven weeks ago.

Singapore’s sailors are also in fine form, with the 17-strong squad comprised of world champions, Asian Champions, world youth winners, SEA Games gold medallists and Olympic-hopefuls looking to extend their medal record at this level.

Shooters Jasmine Ser and Teo Shun Xie were bang on target in Glasgow, but now take on a field of greater quality with the inclusion of athletes from non-Commonwealth nations such as China and South Korea. Do not rule out young Martina Lindsay Veloso either, for the 14-year-old has shown she can slug it out with the best and could well outshine her seniors.

Singapore’s bowlers, having not gone to a major Games for three years, will be out to show they cannot be ignored. Ever-reliable when it comes to delivering medals, the keglers’ task is tricky in Incheon, for they will need to beat the hosts on their home ground.

As for the paddlers, gold medals will be a tough reach. With China, Japan and South Korea in attendance, simply winning any medal would be a huge accomplishment in itself.

The odds are stacked against them but Team Singapore athletes know what it takes to go head-to-head with the best in Asia.

Across 36 sports and disciplines, there are 439 gold medals up for grabs, with more than 10,000 athletes from 45 nations vying for places on the podium.

In Guangzhou four years ago, Team Singapore brought home four gold, seven silver and six bronze medals. In Incheon, the aim is to improve on that. Let the Games begin!