‘I want to celebrate this moment not just with my family, but with everyone’: Schooling

RIO DE JANEIRO – Joseph Schooling will make a whirlwind visit to Singapore for three to four days before whizzing off back to the United States to resume his studies at the University of Texas.

The 21-year-old swimmer, who created Singapore sporting history at the Rio Olympics on Friday night (Saturday morning, Aug 13, Singapore time) by winning the 100m butterfly final in an Olympic record time of 50.39sec, left for Singapore this morning on flight No SQ67, barely hours after his milestone victory, and will arrive at Changi Airport on Monday, at around 5.00am.

According to Schooling, he is not able to stay longer in Singapore because his new school semester begins a week earlier this year.

Looking visibly tired, Schooling said that he stayed up to 6am on Saturday morning (Saturday night, Singapore time) before catching a nap from 7 to 9am. “The emotions and the adrenaline are still running so that’s the only thing keeping me awake right now,” he said.

“Once I get on the plane, I’m going to pass out for about 20 hours, I’m pretty sure.”

Schooling revealed that he hadn’t expected that he would be coming back to Singapore so soon after his gold-medal win.

“It’s been crazy coming to the airport,” said Schooling who then ended up obliging so many requests for photographs with people at the Rio International Airport that he did not even have time to finish a sandwich he had bought at the café there.

“I packed in 30 minutes, and everything moved so quickly. It’s been quite hectic but I am enjoying the ride.”

But he is looking forward to returning to Singapore even if it is just for a few days. “Yeah, I’m super excited. I think a lot of people know when my flight is coming in, but it will be pretty cool to see the support, and everyone there,” he said.

“I’m going back so that I can celebrate this moment with everyone in Singapore. Not just my mum and my dad and friends, but everyone who has supported me through the years and watched me grow up.

“I think this moment is really important not just for me but also for everyone in Singapore, and I’m looking forward to it.”

When asked what he thought the reception would be like in Singapore, he said: “I have no idea. I can’t fathom it. I never even knew that I would be spotted here.

"It’s kind of crazy. I am going to take everything as it is when I reach there and assess the situation.”

Parliament will move a motion when it sits on Monday to congratulate and formally recognise Schooling's Olympic triumph, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday. Schooling will be in Parliament with his family for the occasion.