Singapore swimmers in hot water
By Cubby Leong, TODAY | Posted: 03 April 2007 0823 hrs

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Two Singaporean swimmers have made a splash in the international media - though not in a way they, or the Republic, would have wanted.

Bryan Tay, 19, and Zach Ong, 16, both members of Singapore’s 4x100m individual medley quartet, were plunged into controversy in the wake of another shocker at the 12th Fina World Championships on Sunday.

Resting after their heat, the pair was in the media zone watching the television monitors as the American medley team touched home in first place in its heat - assuring, it seemed, a spot in the final for the gold-medal favourites and a place in history for Michael Phelps as the first swimmer to sweep eight gold medals at a major event.

But, seconds later, the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne gasped - as the scoreboard signalled the Americans’ disqualification due to a mix-up in the butterfly leg.

For Bryan and Zach, disbelief at this turn of events turned to horror, when a wire report afterward painted the Singapore team’s reaction as one of happiness.

According to reports by Associated Press, “members of Singapore’s relay team pointed at the ‘DSQ’ (disqualified) listed next to the United States on a television monitor and smiled”.

The widely-circulated report ran in publications across the globe, including Sports Illustrated magazine, Californian newspaper Whittier Daily News and The Statesman in India.

On Monday, the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) came out strongly to refute the report. Said SSA vice-president Oon Jin Gee: “We have zero tolerance for mistakes in relays. Why should the boys be smiling when they understand the severity of those mistakes?

“The swimmers, no matter how young, are always told they must carry themselves with dignity at international meets and they understand that.

“Nevertheless, we will investigate. If the boys are found guilty of mocking the Americans, if they showed poor sportsmanship, we will submit an official apology.”

The swimmers say it was all a misunderstanding. Zach, a student at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), said he smiled “in shock” when the decision was flashed on the scoreboard. “We were both smiling, not because we were happy that the Americans were disqualified — it was really hard to believe, that was all it was,” he told TODAY over the phone from Melbourne.

SSA team manager David Tay added: “What baffles me is, why didn’t the reporter ask our swimmers why they were smiling? The reporter should not have singled out any team for any form of emotion or reaction. Different people will interpret those emotions and reactions in different ways.

“Bryan and Zach said they only pointed at the TV screen in disbelief and at no point were there any signs of mockery. In fact, our swimmers idolise the American team above any other at the world championships.”

The world’s premier swimming nation shares close ties with the Singapore Sports Council (SSC).

With next year’s Beijing Olympics looming and acclimatisation a priority, the American team is due to arrive here in August to train.

The SSC’s High Performance director, Australian Wayde Clews, said: “My concern is, it was a cheap shot (by the reporter).

“Our relationship with the US Olympic Committee is very good. In fact, their team will base its final training camp here when they arrive eight days before next year’s Games.”

Zach and the other two members of the relay team, Nicholas Tan, 17, and Leonard Tan, 22, will return home on Tuesday. Bryan will return on Wednesday, after a stint at the Australian Institute of Sport. - TODAY/il