Manila, Philippines, December 8, 2019: The Singapore National Olympic Council has a lot more to celebrate than SEA Games gold medals – such as qualification for the Olympic Games in Tokyo next July. The Singapore NOC posted a Facebook tribute to its athletes competing here and further afield on Sunday, saying: “Our heartiest congratulations to Team Singapore athletes who have made waves this week in obtaining Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification. “Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low have just earned an Olympic berth for Singapore in the sailing women’s skiff 49erFX event at the 2019 world championships. “Earlier this week, swimmers Quah Zheng Wen and Joseph Isaac Schooling both clocked Olympic “A” qualification times at the 2019 SEA Games. “Continue to fly our flag high, Team Singapore!” Schooling will head to Tokyo next summer as the defending Olympic champion in the men’s 100m butterfly, having won the gold medal in sensational style at Rio 2016. Singapore sailors Lim, 23, and Low, 28, earned the country a place at next year's Olympic Games with their performance at the Hyundai 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, on Sunday, December 8, reports The Straits Times. The pair, who are Asian Games champions, were 15th in the 49erFX skiff class with 198 points. Six Olympic berths were up for grabs at the December 3-8 event for nations who had not already qualified at the 2018 World Championships, which marked the start of the qualifying period. In Auckland, they finished seventh among the countries who had not qualified for the Tokyo Games. But with each National Olympic Committee allowed to take up a maximum of one berth and two teams from the United States qualifying, the Singaporeans earned the last spot available. Singapore sailors have qualified for every edition of the Olympics since 1984, peaking at 10 sailors in seven events at Rio 2016.
Singapore NOC celebrates sailing, swimming qualification for Tokyo 2020
