Paddler Yu Mengyu goes through; Amita Berthier (Fencing), Tan Sze En (Gymnastics), Clarence Chew (Table Tennis), and Caroline Chew (Equestrian) bow out
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
25 July 2021, Tokyo - It was a day of mixed emotions for a battling Team Singapore, with four Singapore athletes witnessing their journeys at this year's Olympiad come to an end.
There was good news in Table Tennis however, as Yu Mengyu booked her place in the third round of the Women's Singles.
Image credit: SportSG via Fabrice Coffrini/ AFP
FENCING
Fencer Amita Berthier kicked off the day's action for Team Singapore, and had the unenviable task of overcoming three time Olympian and World No. 5 Kiefer Lee in the Women's Individual Foil, her friend and "idol".
Sharing the same coach and coming from the same University of Notre Dame, the two had sparred before but this was to be the biggest stage yet.
Berthier fought hard but experience told in the end as the Team Singapore fencer succumbed 4-15 to the Olympic veteran Kiefer Lee, and made her exit from the competition.
Image credit: SportSG
ROWING
In the Women's Singles Sculls Semi-finals E/F 2, Singapore Rower Joan Poh clocked a time of 8:47.77 to finish 3rd out of 4 and book a place in the Finals - E, which will be held on Thursday, 29 July.
Finals B to F is for the purpose of ranking classification, and Final A determines the Olympic medalists.
Poh's route to semi-finals E/F came after she finished 4th out of 5 in Repechage 1 yesterday, with a timing of 8:40.06.
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
GYMNASTICS
Singapore gymnast Tan Sze En made her Olympic debut today in the Women's Artistic Individual All-around Qualification (sub division 1) at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo.
Only the second Singaporean gymnast to qualify for an Olympic Games after Lim Heem Wei, Tan Sze En scored 11.833 points for her floor exercise qualification to finish 13th out of 17 in her sub-division.
She then needed to bounce back after a shaky start to her balance beam routine where she almost fell on her first flip, but finished with aplomb to put 11.033 points on the board and finish 17th out of 19 in her sub-division.
Her results mean she exits Tokyo 2020 with her head held high, but her final standing will be determined after all qualification across sub-divisions have been completed.
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
TABLE TENNIS
In the Men's Singles Round 2 Match, Singapore paddler Clarence Chew was unable to replicate his feat from Day 1, losing to world no. 44 Daniel Habesohn of Austria 7-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 10-12 to lose 1-4 overall and bow out of the 2020 Olympics.
Ranked 186th in the world, Clarence Chew has already surpassed all expectations and has gained invaluable experience from his stint in Tokyo against opponents who are much higher ranked globally.
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
In the Women's Singles, Yu Mengyu overcame Portugal's Sheini Joa 11-3,11-2,11-8 and 11-9 to win 4-0 in straight sets and book her place in Round 3 of the competition.
She will next face Cheng I Ching of Chinese Taipei in round three of the Women's Singles tomorrow.
Image credit: SportSG via Peter Parks/AFP
SAILING
Singapore windsurfer Amanda Ng began her Tokyo 2020 campaign today in the Women’s Windsurfer RS:X Race 1 to 3, netting a total of 37 points thus far, which places her 20th out of 27 competitors after three races. The competition resumes tomorrow for Races 4 to 6.
Image credit: Singapore National Olympic Council
In the Men's One Person Dinghy Laser, sailor Ryan Lo made his Olympic debut and is currently ranked 18 out of 35 competitors after the first race. He will set sail again tomorrow for races 2 to 4 in the Men's One Person Dinghy Laser.
Image credit: SportSG via Behrouz Mehri/AFP
EQUESTRIAN
There was disappointment for Team Singapore equestrian athlete Caroline Chew this afternoon as her horse suffers a freak injury that saw her disqualified from competition.
In the Equestrian - Dressage Individual Grand Prix Group D qualifier, Chew's horse Tribiani was found to be bleeding at the mouth, spelling the end of Chew's time in Tokyo and bringing an abrupt end to Singapore's maiden equestrian campaign at the Olympics.
This comes in line with the rules that states a horse will be eliminated if it shows fresh blood.
Image credit: Kong Chong Yew, SNOC
SWIMMING
In swimming, Singapore swimmer Quah Zheng Wen clocked 53.94 sec in the Men's 100m Backstroke Heats to finish third in his heat, and 22nd out of 41 competitors overall, narrowly missing out on a spot in the semi-finals.
Quah's timing of 53.94 sec is close to his personal best and the national record of 53.79s that set at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
He will be back in action again tomorrow for the Men's 200m Butterfly Heats.