Singapore’s only Olympic champion Schooling ends his sports career

Schooling stunned the world less than eight years ago when he beat American great Phelps to win gold in the 100-meter butterfly at the Olympics.

Schooling failed to qualify for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, and his career began to slide after gold medals in the 50m and 100m butterfly at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

“Today a new chapter begins – I will stop participating in swimming competitions,” says the 28-year-old swimmer on his Instagram account.

In an interview with the Straits Times, Schooling says he has become complacent.

“My mistake was complacency, thinking it would go on forever because I was so far ahead of the rest,” he said.

“Add ego, add pride. Add ‘I will never be defeated.’ That’s a recipe for complacency. That’s one of the lessons I learned,” explains the athlete.

His future in the sport was cast in doubt after he pulled out of last year’s Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games, saying he was “not at the level” he could be.

Schooling, who completed two years of mandatory military service, came to the attention of the press in 2022 after admitting to using marijuana abroad.

Singapore has some of the strictest anti-drug laws in the world, and citizens can face up to 10 years in prison for drug abuse if found to have taken banned substances outside the city-state.

Schooling was given a warning and placed on six months of urine testing.

He was also no longer eligible for training or competition during his military service.

Schooling revealed to the Straits Times that he plans to partner with two venture capital players in the “health and wellness, technology and sustainability” sectors and play more golf in the future.