Tokyo 2020: TeamSG Para-Swimmer Toh Wei Soong agonisingly misses out on his 1st Paralympic medal, despite setting new National Record in 50m Butterfly S7 final!
(TeamSG para-swimmer Toh Wei Soong - Photo by Sport Singapore)
By Kenneth Tan
16 hundredth of a second (0.16s) – that was the difference between Team Singapore para-swimmer Toh Wei Soong and his 1st-ever Paralympics medal.
In top-level sport, margins can be fine as such. Thus, the 22 year old can hold his head up high, after such a creditable display in the 50metres Butterfly S7 final on Friday afternoon (3 Sep).
(TeamSG para-swimmer Toh Wei Soong - Photo by Sport Singapore)
Achieving a National Record (NR) of 29.50 seconds with a relentless swim, he was just 0.16 seconds behind Colombia’s bronze medallist Daniel Serrano Carlos at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Meanwhile, USA’s Evan Austin took gold with 28.98 seconds, ahead of Ukraine’s Andrii Trusov – who did 29.03 seconds.
In an incredible final in which 6 out of the 8 contestants went under 30 seconds, Wei Soong continued his great run from the morning’s heats – in which he eclipsed his previous National Record of 30.76s with a time of 29.90 seconds, to finish 2nd in a field of 12 qualifiers.
(TeamSG para-swimmer Toh Wei Soong - Photo by Sport Singapore)
Matching Serrano Carlos stride-for-stride in the final, as they went into the last stretch, the 2-time Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) Sportsboy of the Year, was unlucky to touch the wall just a breadth behind the 23-year-old Colombian and had to settle for 4th spot.
While there will surely be a tinge of regret not being able to claim a podium finish, Wei Soong – who is diagnosed with the rare condition of transverse myelitis – can look back on a stunning 1st Paralympic campaign in which he reached the finals of all 3 x S7 events that he competed in and smashed 2 NRs along the way.
He clocked 5 minutes 6.39 seconds to finish 7th in the 400m freestyle final, before finishing in a similar position in the 50m free with a new NR of 28.65 seconds – bettering his previous mark of 29.01.
Coached by legendary Team Singapore swimmer Ang Peng Siong, the future is certainly bright for Wei Soong and we look forward to seeing better performances from him in Paris 2024. In the more immediate future, he'll be looking to defend his 50m and 100m freestyle titles at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.
Catch Highlights from Wei Soong's post-race virtual media conference (below).
For all coverage and news of the Republic's national athletes who're competing at the Games, check out the official Team Singapore Tokyo 2020 website.
Additional Reporting by Raj Kumar
Pledge Your Support here
Show your support for Team Singapore in the Paralympic Games!
Team Singapore athletes have worked hard to qualify for the Paralympics despite the challenges placed in front of them by the pandemic. They've trained relentlessly, all while adapting to the different safety measures throughout their journey, to ensure that they can represent our flag in Tokyo.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever, BlogPost 80700409988 Strength Training for Seniors, BlogPost 137536455174 Age Gracefully, Start Strength Training, BlogPost 145856643584 FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers: Singapore vs Korea Republic, BlogPost 144608971564 ActiveSG Football Academy sets up centralised development centres to broaden base for young players, BlogPost 144605361831 Hafiz Osman & sons' love affair with the beautiful game, BlogPost 137536455236 The Golden Years, BlogPost 142676085686 Singapore crowned Mirxes Nations Cup 2023 Champions!]