Joseph Schooling Retires from Competitive Swimming
‘Singapore’s Flying Fish’ Joseph Schooling, who famously stunned his swimming idol Michael Phelps out of a 2016 Olympic gold in the 100m butterfly, steps away from the limelight after a string of setbacks.
Retirement Announcement
Joseph Schooling, the swimmer who won Singapore’s first and to date only Olympic gold medal in 2016, announced on Tuesday that he had retired from the pool at the age of 28. Known in the city state as “Singapore’s Flying Fish”, Schooling stunned the swimming world when he beat his boyhood hero Michael Phelps to win the 100 meters butterfly with a time of 50.39 seconds at the Rio Olympics.
Legacy and Achievements
Schooling found it difficult to match that level of global success after 2016, winning a solitary bronze medal at the 2017 world championships and crashing out in the heats in his title defense at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Schooling will retire with three Asian Games gold medals and 29 from the Southeast Asian Games.
Looking Ahead
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter — I will be retiring from competitive swimming,” he said in a message posted on Facebook. “I am eager to explore new passions, face different challenges, and see where this next phase of life takes me.”
While Schooling is stepping away from competing, swimming will forever be a part of who he is. It has given him a platform to inspire others to chase their dreams, no matter the odds.