Singapore's first qualifier for Tokyo 2020 is the last athlete to wrap up Singapore's participation in this year's Olympiad
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
6 August 2021, Tokyo, Japan - Singapore diver Jonathan Chan has bowed out of the Men's 10m platform diving competition, scoring 311.15 points across six dives, and placing 26th out of a field of 29 divers at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre.
With only the top 18 divers qualifying for the next round (semi-final), Chan's maiden involvement in the competition was brought to an end, but it was not all bad news for Chan nor for Team Singapore.
Image credit: SportSG via AFP
The 24 year-old student from Singapore University of Technology and Design shared with Yahoo News Singapore that he was relieved that it was over as it had been a long journey, with the postponement of the Games adding to the fatigue and also taking a toll on his studies.
"The COVID-19 circuit breaker I didn't mind, because it allowed me to rest and recharge, since I couldn't dive off the platforms every day. But the Olympic postponement really ate into my study semesters, so I had to juggle between schoolwork and training for the Olympics. So I'm really looking forward to a long break from diving after this."
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
Chan, who was the first Team Singapore athlete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is also the last Singapore athlete to compete at these Games.
Speaking with Channel News Asia, Chan shared that he was satisfied with his overall performance.
He said: “The first five dives obviously could have gone better, but it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary”
“What my coach always says is that if competitions are like training, it is good enough … So if it's within expectation, which it was, I think I'm quite satisfied with it.”
Chan's teammate Freida Lim competed 2 days earlier on Day 12 of the Games, and finished on 215.90 points, placing 30th overall. Lim also did not advance to the Semi-Finals.