Swimming: Joseph Schooling fails to make semi-finals, will not defend 100m Olympic butterfly crown
Singapore's Joseph Schooling at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand)
TOKYO: Olympic champion Joseph Schooling will not defend his men's 100m butterfly title after failing to qualify for the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday (Jul 29).
The Singaporean finished last in his heat at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre, clocking a time of 53.12s. This placed him 44th overall out of 55.
The top 16 qualify for the semi-finals of the event.
READ: 'It's hard to swallow': Joseph Schooling disappointed by butterfly performance at Olympics, vows to fight harder
Schooling’s national record stands at 50.39s, which he achieved in the 2016 Rio Olympics. It earned him an Olympic record and a gold medal.
Schooling’s compatriot Quah Zheng Wen also missed out on the semi-finals with a time of 52.39s.
Posting on Facebook, Team Singapore praised Quah's "valiant effort" and said it stands behind Schooling.
"We are proud of your dedication and hard work. Thank you for always flying our Singapore flag with pride," it said.
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