Check out all of our 2015 Swammy Awards here.
2015 National Development Award: Singapore
Our National Development Swammy is for a nation that exceeded expectations in the year 2015 or broke through to new heights over the previous year. Singapore fits very firmly in both categories, with the new ground broken being the nation’s first-ever World Championships medal.
Joseph Schooling. (Courtesy of Tim Binning)
That came courtesy of Joseph Schooling, who exceeded expectations all year even as those expectations rose after each big swim.
In a loaded 100 fly field, Schooling cracked 51 seconds to go 50.96 and nab the bronze medal, beating American Tom Shields and nearly overtaking Hungary’s 200 fly gold medalist Laszlo Cseh.
And though the expectations were significantly higher at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games earlier in the year, Singapore still delivered over and above what was anticipated.
Considered the heavy favorites heading into competition, Singapore won 23 of 38 gold medals, more than doubling the totals of every other nation. Schooling led the way with 9 golds in 9 event entries. Quah Zheng Wen won 12 total medals – 7 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze. Tao Li (5 gold), Quah Ting Wen (4 gold, 4 silver) and Lim Xiang Qi (4 gold) each added multiple medals, and that group of 5 swimmers were the most decorated Singaporean athletes of any sport at the Southeast Asian Games.
Nabbing highly-respected coach Sergio Lopez to head its National Training Center suggests that Singapore’s rise on the international level is only beginning.
Honorable Mention
In no particular order:
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Alia Atkinson, Jamaica. (Courtesy of Tim Binning)
Sri Lanka: Freestyler Matthew Abeysinghe became the first Sri Lankan to earn a FINA World Championships qualifying standard, and did so while winning the national title in the 100 free. Abeysinghe wound up 54th in Kazan.
- Jamaica: Breaststroker Alia Atkinson won Jamaica’s first World Champs medal, much like Schooling did for Singapore, but Atkinson actually netted two. She took silver in the 50 breast and bronze in the 100 in Kazan. Atkinson also took silver at Pan Ams.
- Vietnam: Behind Singapore’s dominant Southeast Asian Games effort, Vietnam blew out all other competitors with 10 gold medals. (The next-closest nation had 3). 8 of those came from Vien Thi Anh Nguyen, who also became the first Vietnamese swimmer – or athlete of any kind – to be honored with the nation’s Glory Award.
