Teo calm ahead of Asian Games

SINGAPORE — Calm, as any shooter will tell you, is the word many athletes repeat in their heads when the going gets tough.

The mantra worked wonders for Teo Shun Xie last month in Glasgow, as the 25-year-old clinched Singapore’s first Commonwealth Games medal — a surprise gold — in the women’s 10m air pistol.

Finding calm, however, has not always been Teo’s strongest suit. Speaking to TODAY ahead of the Incheon Asian Games, Teo said: “My first SEA Games in Laos in 2009 was horrible. At the range, everything started going wrong and I just couldn’t get used to the lighting and everything there. I had no idea what happened to me. I broke down after the competition.

“It’s definitely got better with more competitions and with the help of my coaches, who tell me to relax and focus on my shots. There will definitely be nerves in every competition, but you have to learn how to control them.”

Thrust into the spotlight after her Glasgow triumph, Teo now targets a good Asian Games debut where she is pencilled in for the women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol, but is happy to stay under the radar.

“Nothing has changed ... except that I’m doing a lot of interviews and getting media attention. Luckily, not many people recognise me. I like being under the radar as there’s less pressure with less people seeing you,” said Teo, who is this week in Granada, Spain, competing in the International Shooting Sport Federation World Championships.

Hosts South Korea, China, Taiwan and India are expected to put in a strong challenge in Incheon, but Teo is hopeful of finding success with her 25m pistol team-mates Teh Xiu Hong and Nicole Tan. The trio won silver in the team category at the SEA Games in Myanmar last year, with Tan clinching gold in the individual event and Teo a silver in the 10m air pistol.

“Hopefully, we can get a team medal as our 25m team is quite strong. We really need to not let nerves and expectations distract us. Incheon will be like any other competition,” Teo said. “Of course, in any competition, we want to win, but we will do our best and see how it goes.”