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Determination is the Key to Success

Speak of swimming. Speak of a Singapore legend. Speak of being the best in the world. Bring any Singaporean through these three concepts and before you are done, chances are that the person will have one name in mind: Ang Peng Siong.

Article Provided Courtesy of SPH

He was once the world’s fastest man over 50 metres.

Ang Peng Siong put Singapore on the world map in 1982 when he splashed his way to a then-world record of 22.69sec in the 50m freestyle at the United States Swimming Championships.

Born on 27 Oct, 1962, Ang took his first dip when he was five. His father, the late Ang Teck Bee, was instrumental in developing Ang into one of Singapore’s finest swimmers.

Ang’s father was himself an accomplished sixth-dan judoka and an Olympian at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

To Ang, his father was a great role model, a leader, a disciplinarian and a motivator.

He donned national colours for the first time at the 1977 South-east Asia Games in Kuala Lumpur, where he won a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay.

He went on to win 20 gold medals in eight SEA Games appearances.

At 18, he earned a sports scholarship to the University of Houston after impressing at the Hawaiian International Invitational Swimming Championship in 1980.

He was the only non-American swimmer to qualify for the 50m final.

Under the tutelage of head coach Phil Hansel, Ang went on to win the first the NCAA men’s title for the University of Houston in 1983.

He is married to Wendy and the couple have a son, Kai Ze, 4.

Ang set up APS Swim School in 1996 and now devotes his time grooming the next generation of swimmers.

Age may be catching up with him, but the competitive spirit in him still burns brightly.

At the age of 37, Ang took part in the World Masters Swimming Championships in 2000 and came in first in his pet event – the 50m freestyle.

He also finished second in the 50m butterfly and fifth in the 50m breaststroke.

In 2002, he successfully defended his 50m free title and also won the 50m fly.

Ang also believes in giving back to society.

 In 1990, he completed an 8km solo swim from Bedok Jetty to Marina Point to raise funds for the National Kidney Foundation.

As proof of Ang’s status as a sporting icon, even Wikipedia, one of the world’s most famous online encyclopaedia, has archived his sporting achievements.

He said: “At least the history of my life is shared with generations to come.

“Hopefully, they will be inspired by my story as well.”

 

WHY HE IS GREAT

World-record holder, Asian Games gold-medallist, two-time Olympian, three-time Sportsman of the Year (1982 to 1984), multiple South-east Asia Games
champion.

Not many swimmers can boast of these achievements, unless your name is Ang Peng Siong.

It’s a pity that his world mark of 22.69s in the 50m freestyle sprint eastablished in 1982 came six years too soon.

At that time, the 50m sprint was not an Olympic event until it was included at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

If Ang had clocked a similar timing, he would have won a bronze medal.

At the 1982 Asian Games, Ang struck gold in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 100m butterfly.

He added another silver and two bronzes in the next two Games.

A two-time Olympian, his best result at the Olympics came at the 1984 Los Angeles Games where he clocked 51.09s to win the 100m freestyle B finals and set a national record.

To this day, that record still stands. Ang is also the national record-holder for the 50m free (22.69s) and 100m fly (56.00s).

In 1983, he was awarded the Republic’s Public Service Medal (PBM).

The next year, he was bestowed the Republic's Public Service Star medal(BBM).

 

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:

  • Ranked world No. 1 in the 50m freestyle in 1982 (22.69s).
  • Awarded the “World’s Fastest Swimmer” award in Bonn, West Germany in 1983.
  • Olympic Games 1984 – Won the 100m free B finals (51.09s, national record) at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
  • 1988 – Finished third in the 50m free B finals (23.39s) at the Seoul Olympic Games.
  • Asian Games
  • 1982 – Won gold in the 100m freestyle and bronze for the 100m butterfly
  • 1986 – Won two bronze medals
  • 1990 – Won one silver medal.

 

SEA Games

  • Won 20 gold medals from eight SEA Games appearances. (1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993)

World Masters Swimming Championships

  • 2000 – 1st in 50m free, 2nd in 50m fly
  • 2002 – 1st in 50m free and 50m fly.