“I was originally a gymnast,” the 24-year-old told Olympics.com. “I started gym when I was around six or seven years old, and then when I was 13, there was the YOG happening in Singapore, but we didn‘t have any divers at that point in time. My sister was one of those within the age range who could compete in YOG, so she started diving first, and then I went to try out the sport as well and realised I liked it better than gym. So, I swapped over.”
Chan is studying architecture at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (he is writing his finals during the Games because of Covid-19 delaying classes), and in September of 2019, Chan won the men’s 10m platform event in the Asian Diving Cup in Kuala Lumpur, beating favourites Wang Zewei, from China, and Korea’s Ri Kwon-hyok. Chan, who was 22 at the time, was vaulted into the local spotlight and dubbed “Singapore’s golden boy of diving”.
“I think nobody was expecting my Olympic qualification,” he said in an interview on Instagram. “Because the competition was in Malaysia, my whole family didn’t attend, they were like ‘small competition, never mind’. And I was really going in without expecting anything. I think maybe I was more relaxed I guess. Every dive I did that day was quite good. I just did everything and then by the time it ended they were like, ‘Oh, you’re first’”.
Singapore’s Max Lee and Jonathan Chan (right) compete in the men’s synchronised 10m platform event at the World Cup in May. Photo: Getty Images
Singapore’s most famous Olympian is
, who beat his childhood idol Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly at Rio 2016, the first medal for the country. Schooling was unable to win a medal at .
Chan said he’s always thought about making a big splash in diving for Singapore, having trained for more than a decade in the sport. He was unable to train in an actual pool for three months owing to Covid-19 during the country’s strict lockdowns.
“It shows that what I put in over the past 10 or more years has finally paid off. To be the first diver to represent my country at this kind of event is such an honour. Honestly, it‘s a surreal experience, but at the same time I hope it inspires other future divers in Singapore to show that it is possible as long as you stick to it and put in the hard work. It’s not something that is out of reach, like how I thought it was when I first started diving, but it really can be done.”
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
