/ AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD
(Eagle News) — Singapore’s Olympic swim champion Joseph Schooling, who had paid tribute to his Filipina nanny in a 2015 Singtel ad video, successfully defended his 100 meter butterfly title and won Singapore’s first gold medal at the Asian Games on Wednesday.
Schooling swam a Games-record 51.04sec to beat China’s Li Zhuhao into second place.
He was a rising star when he won at Incheon in 2014.
The 23-year-old had also stunned Michael Phelps in the 100m fly in Rio Olympics two years ago to win Singapore’s first-ever Olympic title in any sport.
In 2015, in an ad for Singtel, he had paid tribute to his Filipina nanny of 19 years, whom he called Aunt Yolly. She had taken care of Schooling since he was one year old in Singapore, the Filipina said in the ad.
“Auntie Yolly is like second mom to me,” said Schooling in the video.
“As a kid, I wasn’t the easiest guy to handle. She was the one who always took care of me at home. She’s cooked for me, made me do my homework,” he said then in the 2015 ad for Singtel, a Singaporean telecommunications company.
(Watch Singtel ad video)
Schooling was the first swimmer to deny China or Japan a gold medal at the six-day meet.
Otherwise it was Japan’s night in the Jakarta pool as the 2020 Olympics hosts edged China by four wins to three to draw level at 14 golds apiece at the top of the swimming medals table.
Sun Yang’s bid for a record ninth Games title for China was derailed by Japan in the 4x100m freestyle relay, while Japanese starlet Rikako Ikee’s attempt for a fifth gold in Jakarta was halted by Chinese opposition in the 4x100m mixed medley relay.
At the end of day four, China were leading the overall medals table with 38 golds, ahead of Japan on 20 and South Korea with 11.
Jordan’s Khader Baqlah turned heads by posting the joint-quickest time in qualifying for the men’s 100m freestyle, swimming’s blue riband event.
The 19-year-old, who finished just outside the medals in fourth in the 200m free final earlier this week, clocked 49.30 with China’s Yu Hexin — winner of the 50m free in Jakarta.
Japan’s Shinri Shioura, silver medallist at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, was just two-hundredths slower.
“I was kind of frustrated with the 200m,” admitted Baqlah. “That was my fastest morning swim ever today but I’m probably going to have to go mid-48 to win.”
The usual suspects were lurking in the men’s 200m backstroke with China’s Xu Jiayu second quickest as he looks to complete an Asian Games treble in the discipline.
Xu, who could potentially finish with five gold medals in Jakarta, touched in 2:00.53 behind countryman Li Guangyuan 1:59.87.
Japan’s Satomi Suzuki topped the heats of the women’s 50m breaststroke as she looks to retain her title and complete a 50-100m double.
Japan’s golden girl Rikako Ikee could equal countrywoman Yoshimi Nishigawa’s five swim titles at a single Asian Games when she goes in the 4x100m medley relay later on Thursday.
The 18-year-old, who has emerged as Japan’s brightest swimming hope for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in her home city, has already won gold in the 50 fly, 100 fly, 100 free and the 4x100m free, plus two silvers.
A medal of any colour will also see Ikee match countryman Kosuke Hagino’s haul of seven, including four gold, at a breakout 2014 Asian Games.
Nishigawa won five gold medals in freestyle and individual medley at the 1970 and 1974 Asian Games.
(with an Agence France-Presse report)
