Singaporean Olympic champion Joseph Schooling is set to reunite with former coach Sergio Lopez, according to a report from the Straits Times.
The Times reports Schooling will join Lopez — currently the head coach at Virginia Tech — in Virginia this Sunday and train there through the Tokyo Games this summer (with a trip back to Singapore in March for the National Age Group Swimming Championships.)
The 24-year-old Schooling previously trained under Lopez, 51, while attending high school at The Bolles School in Florida from 2010 to 2014. He went on to swim for Eddie Reese at the University of Texas, during which time he won Olympic gold in the 100 fly in 2016, and became a 22-time All-American before graduating in 2018.
After serving as an assistant coach at Auburn, the Spanish Olympic medalist Lopez took over at Virginia Tech in 2018. He was head coach of the Singapore national team from 2015 to 2016 prior to his time at Auburn. Lopez has assembled a diverse pro group, called “Swim Pinnacle Racing,” in Blacksburg. The group, reported to have 15 members currently, includes Egyptian Olympian Farida Osmanand a slew of other Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.
Schooling has struggled to reclaim his spot atop the international ranks since his 2016 performance. He did not advance out of prelims in the 100 fly at the 2019 FINA World Championships last summer, finishing over 2.5 seconds behind his Rio-winning time. At the SEA Games last year, he won the 100 fly and took silver in the 100 free.
Great news! Go Jojo!
Is he friends with Conger?
Conger still in Virginia?
Still training with UVA and Desorbo as far as I know.
He has a 51.8 from SEA games that puts him 10th in World. If he commits to it, a top 8 in Tokyo is possible. He is qualified, so need to do a double taper. Wishing him luck and focus
*….no need to double taper
The guy has been on a four year taper. Another one isn’t going to hurt.
Enjoy Blacksburg? Oof…..
No distractions in Blacksburg, so swimming will have his undivided focus (unless he suddenly develops a fondness for cow tipping).
Quintessential UVA comment
Blacksburg is within some gorgeous stretches of the Applachians. But if you are purely a city boy, then “oof” is probably right.
I’d take SW Virginia over a lot of other areas…
Farida Osman direct quote “There’s not much to do in Blacksburg”…
My sister lives there and they have one grocery store lol.
Most people who go to college there love it, but not much for post-grads to do. Unless you like tailgating, dive bars, or house parties.
You heard wrong or your sister is wrong. But yes, it is certainly a small town. But there’s far more than 1 grocery store within town limits. And like a dozen if you’re willing to drive 10 minutes to christiansburg
Good move man.
To little too late. He admittedly hasn’t put in the work since the 2016 so not sure a few months with Sergio will make a difference.
I think it’s just for a cheerleader and trying to get his mind straight. It’s tough going to the Olympics as defending champion knowing you’re going to get creamed. When was the last time a defending champ didn’t final? I can’t recall, and I’ve been around a long time.
In Rio Missie Franklin didn’t make it out of the semi finales in the 200 back while she was defending Olympic champion
And still the WR holder at that time.
Yeah, I meant guys, and USA below named them.
Missy Franklin, Yannick Agnel, Daniel Gyurta, Sun Yang
Grevers and Clary didn’t even make the team.
Sergio was also the Singaporean National coach from 2014 on. It wasn’t just the Belles connection.
I guess his reason for not going back to Texas is because his senior year. According to Wyatt and himself, Joe was working harder than ever, while his results at NCAA did not reflect a thing. Sergio developed Joe well in his teens. Hoping they can pull something off for Tokyo. I think the only guy who can be somewhere close to Dressel is a 100% Joe.
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If by close you mean sub 50.5, right??
Yes. I called the person who went 43+ in the 100 yard fly and a 50.39 LCM, defending Olympic champion the only person to be SOMEWHERE CLOSE to Dressel at the same meet where he upsets MP.
If you like to throw great flyers into conversations, I will do it for you:
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Mind you, Metella will not be able to compete due to his surgery.
Dang why all downvotes. I agree with Will 37, Joe is an incredible swimmer. If Sergio can help him get back to 100% he can definitely take on dressel. Only person in the world currently that could in the 100 fly.
Joe has already been as close to Dressel as he will get. Joe’s goal at this point would be to final and give Singapore a respectable showing. Medaling is a very remote possibility.
The only thing more ridiculous than the early hype of Dressel (taking on Peaty in the LCM 100 breast, being great in LCM 200 IM, 200 free, and 200 fly, winning 23 golds or whatever) is the Schooling hype. The dude was one and done. Since you brought up SCY, it was Dressel who absolutely broke him at NCAAs when he no-breathed the last 25 to win. Schooling hasn’t been the same since.
100% Joe is still a second behind
but still closer than anyone else, which is what the original comment said
I’m not sure how Joe is going to be closer to Dressel than anyone else when he’s unlikely to final, let alone medal.
I seriously doubt Joe was working harder the year after the Olympics than he was leading up to it…his body shape and times also say otherwise
I kinda don’t buy it too. That’s why I said “I guess the reason…for not going back to Texas”
Yeah there’s no strong butterfliers internationally outside of Bolles alums. Lol 😂
I think if he manages his workload for the olympics and just goes out for the 1 fly he has a real chance of upsetting him. Similar to Phelps’s dominant stretches, the amazing thing isn’t the races themselves, its the full body of work