Olympic gold medalist Joseph Schooling will take part in the Professional Triathletes Organization’s Asian Open in Marina Bay in his native Singapore.
The 28-year-old announced the decision Monday on social media. The event will take place Aug. 19-20 as part of the Asian Open. Schooling will take part in the 100-kilometer event as an “experienced amateur.” It includes a two-kilometer open-water swim.
“I can’t deny I’m feeling some nerves but mostly good vibes!,” Schooling wrote in part. ” I won’t be tackling the entire 100km triathlon myself. Quite a big group of Team Singapore athletes will also be taking part in the race in a relay format. Looking forward to it! Bring it on.”
Schooling will be one of 14 elite Singaporean athletes on various national teams, including marathon runner Ashley Liew and cyclist Calvin Sim.
Schooling won gold in the 100 fly at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He struggled at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and this year passed on both attempting to qualify for the World Championships and participating in the Southeast Asian Games, where he was won 29 career medals.
Schooling is looking toward the end of his career, having dealt with issues in and out of the pool in recent years, including a reprimand from his federation for cannabis use. He was set to reassess his plans for the Paris Olympic cycle after the SEA Games, but his opting out of that competition means he’ll be reassessing the timeline of when to decide.
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Source: www.swimmingworldmagazine.com
