Schooling Alludes To 2022 SEA Games To Possibly Being His Last

The 2022 Southeast Asian Games are nearly upon us, with the swimming competition set to begin on Saturday, May 14th.

Although one of the most successful swimmers in the history of the biennial competition, Singaporean Joseph Schooling, is set to race, the former Texas Longhorn has alluded to this year’s event as most likely being his last.

Part of his decision stems from where he’s at in his aquatic career, while his national military service (NS) obligations are also coming into play.

“I’m going to be 27 this year, and there are a lot of things outside the pool that I’ll want to move on to after I’m done swimming,” he told Yahoo News Singapore.

“Right now the question is, ‘Okay, do I still want to do Paris? Or do I stop and reassess where I want to go after the Asian Games?’ The Asian Games are on the calendar for mid-September.

“Also, how do I balance what I need to do NS-wise and getting the training I need? Because if this schedule persists, I don’t think I can make it to 2024 in Paris.”

Schooling took the men’s 100m fly gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and enjoyed home country hero status since.

Back in the pool, however, the butterfly specialist’s performances haven’t been able to capture the same magic. Schooling placed 24th in the 100m fly at the 2019 World Championships followed by a 44th place finish at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Specific to the Southeast Asian Games (SEA), Schooling has amassed 31 medals across 5 appearances, with his debut having come at the 2011 edition in Palembang, Indonesia. There, the then-16-year-old Schooling took two golds, a silver and bronze as a preview of things to come just 5 years later in Rio.

So far this season, Schooling has put up a solid effort of 52.09 at the Singapore National Qualifier meet last month, a time which easily beat out the 53.12 he put up in Tokyo.

Looking ahead to the SEA Games, Schooling said, “My team and I have worked ourselves into a spot where I can say I should be winning my events. The key now is to enjoy what I am working for.

“I’ve always enjoyed representing Singapore at the SEA Games, and this SEA Games being possibly my last will make it even more special. I won’t take anything for granted, and I’m going to appreciate whatever is going to happen.”