Tao Li qualifies for two more events
SINGAPORE— Tao Li returned home eight days ago from training in Kunming with one aim — to qualify for two more events at the SEA Games here from June 5 to 16.
SINGAPORE— Tao Li returned home eight days ago from training in Kunming with one aim — to qualify for two more events at the SEA Games here from June 5 to 16.
And the swimmer did just that yesterday at the Sports Hub OCBC Aquatic Centre, wrapping up the 100m backstroke in 1:03.86, ahead of Hannah Quek (1:06.30) and Chantel Liew (1:06.93).
On Thursday, she stopped the clock at 29.50secs in the 50m backstroke at the ongoing Singapura Finance 46th Singapore National Age Group (SNAG) Swimming Championships, adding to the 50m and 100m fly events she had qualified for based on last year’s Asian Games timings.
Mission accomplished, she will return to her training camp in China, where she has been undergoing high-altitude training under Kunming’s provincial coach Yi Wen Ju, who has Asian Games champion Xie Zhi (100m breaststroke) under his wings too.
“When I return to China, my plan is to lose some weight first, then do a lot of training to build up my core strength,” said Tao Li. “I will watch my diet more closely.”
The 1.60m-tall fly specialist has been training in China for the past six months and hopes to lose 4kg from her current 60kg.
“I am also training to beat Vietnamese swimmer (Nguyen Thi Anh Vien), who is really fast. She was among the top three swimmers at the Asian Games.”
The 25-year-old will be in Kunming for three weeks before travelling to Hubei to train under coach Liu Zhengqi. She will return to Singapore eight days before the SEA Games.
At yesterday’s SNAG competition, Christie Chue qualified to make her SEA Games debut, after taking second spot in the 200m free. Quah Ting Wen won the event in 2:01.42. ADELENE WONG