National swimmer Amanda Lim claims all drug tests negative, says her goal remains to qualify for Paris Olympics

SINGAPORE — Beleaguered national swimmer Amanda Lim said on Wednesday (Aug 31) she remains focused on becoming the "first woman in Singapore" to meet the "A" qualifying time for the Paris Olympics Games in 2024, adding that she has cooperated fully with the authorities and tested negative in all the drug tests.

This came a day after Sport Singapore (SportSG), the national sports governing body, said that the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) had given Lim a stern warning under the Misuse of Drugs Act after investigations into possible offences relating to the consumption of cannabis.

Olympic champion and national swimmer Joseph Schooling also confessed to the use of cannabis even though his drug tests were negative, the Ministry of Defence said in a separate statement on Tuesday. 

In response to TODAY's queries on Wednesday, Lim, 29, said that she had worked and cooperated with all the relevant authorities in all the procedures, "including all testings, which I have tested negative". 

"I will continue to work with Sport Singapore and the Singapore Swimming Association on the next steps," she added. 

SportSG has said that it intends to thoroughly review the circumstances behind Schooling's and Lim's cases and determine the appropriate steps to be taken.

TODAY has reached out to CNB to confirm if Lim had tested negative for all her drug tests. Lim did not respond to TODAY's question on whether she had admitted to consuming cannabis. 

The freestyle swimmer had posted a statement via an Instagram Story — which disappears after 24 hours — on her social media account on Tuesday night, where she apologised to her supporters, family and friends, saying that she is "deeply sorry" for her actions. 

Lim had been competing for Singapore since 2007. She is an 11-time Southeast Asian Games gold medallist and an Asian Swimming Championships bronze medallist. 

She told TODAY that despite her present setback, her goal is still "to be the first woman in Singapore to make the 'A' cut for Paris 2024". 

The "A" standard qualification assures a direct or automatic qualification at the Olympics, termed as the Olympic Qualification Timing. 

So far, no Singaporean female swimmer has qualified for the Olympics through meeting this standard. 

"My love and passion for swimming and competing at the highest level will never change," she said.