Tao Li of Singpore had a very good weekend winning a World Cup silver in front of a home country crowd. Tao finished second to Inge Dekker of the Netherlands, who dominated the sprint butterfly events throughout this year’s World Cup.
Tao recorded a time of 25.72 just off of her own national record time of 25.59 which she posted last year at the World Cup event in Tokyo.
With the World Cup over Tao is first focusing on the to the 2015 South East Asian Games and then on to the Olympics in Rio, “The Olympics will be my main goal.” Tao told Channel NewsAsia.
“I am pretty excited for next year. I hope every Singaporean can come down to the stadium and cheer for us.”
Tao will attempt to defend her titles from the 2013 Games in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
Tao has a long history of greatness in the sport of swimming in Singapore. The two time Olympian (2008 and 2012) holds the long course national records in the 50, 100 and 200 butterfly as well as the 100 and 200 backstroke. She also holds the short course national records in the 50 and 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle.
Tao was also the first Singaporean woman to make an Olympic final in swimming, placing fifth in the 100 butterfly in Beijing.
Understanding the influence she can have in the sport she is working to make sure that young athletes have the same opportunities that she has had, “Singapore has given me the opportunity to go to the United Kingdom, Australia and America to train, so I think I have all the experience that other swimmers might not have,” said Tao.
“I want to set up my own swim club to give back to the association and to everyone who likes swimming, so that I can teach them how to swim. I want them to enjoy swimming. I want to give back to society.”
