Toh Wei Soong

Last updated

Toh Wei Soong
PLY
Personal information
Born (1998-09-11) 11 September 1998 (age 25)
Singapore
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
Classifications S7
Medal record
Men's para swimming
Representing Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Event1st2nd3rd
Asian Para Games 511
Commonwealth Games 011
ASEAN Para Games 840
Asian Youth Para Games 010
Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships 010
Total1382
Asian Para Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou 50 m freestyle S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou 50 m butterfly S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou 100 m backstroke S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Jakarta 50 m freestyle S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2018 Jakarta100 m freestyle S7
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou 400 m freestyle S7
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2018 Jakarta100 m backstroke S7
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Birmingham 50 m freestyle S7
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2018 Gold Coast 50 m freestyle S7
ASEAN Para Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2023 Phnom Penh50 m freestyle S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2023 Phnom Penh100 m freestyle S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Phnom Penh 50 m butterfly S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 Kuala Lumpur 50 m freestyle S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2017 Kuala Lumpur100 m freestyle S7
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2015 Singapore 50 m freestyle S8
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2015 Singapore100 m freestyle S8
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2015 Singapore100m backstroke S8
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2023 Phnom Penh400 m freestyle S7
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2023 Phnom Penh100 m backstroke S7
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2017 Kuala Lumpur100 m backstroke S7
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2015 Singapore400 m freestyle S8
Asian Youth Para Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2013 Kuala Lumpur 100 m freestyle S8
Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2018 Cairns100 m freestyle S7

Toh Wei Soong PLY (Chinese :杜维崧; pinyin :Dù Wéisōng; born 11 September 1998) is a Singaporean freestyle and butterfly swimmer. He was a bronze medallist in the S7 50 metre Freestyle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games [1] and a two-time gold medallist at the 2018 Asian Para Games for the S7 50 metre Freestyle and the S7 100 metre Freestyle events.

Contents

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Toh finished fourth in the S7 50 metre Butterfly final, missing a bronze medal by 0.16 seconds.

Early life and education

At the age of 2, Toh was affected by Transverse myelitis, [2] a condition which is caused by the inflammation of the spinal cord and has affected his lower nervous system. [3] The eldest of two children in his family, Toh studied in Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), [4] graduating from the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme in 2017.

Toh is currently reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the National University of Singapore, enrolled in the University Scholars Programme. [5]

Swimming career

Toh started swimming competitively at the age of 14. He won the first-ever Special Event at the annual SSSC Championships, competing as a para-swimmer for ACS(I). In 2013 he joined Aquatic Performance Swim Club under the Singapore National Para-Swimming Team and met his current coach, Ang Peng Siong, a former Singaporean Olympic swimmer.

2013 Asian Youth Para Games

At the 2013 Asian Youth Para Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Toh won a silver medal in the Men's 100 metre freestyle S8 event, his first medal in an international event.

2015 ASEAN Para Games

At the 2015 ASEAN Para Games held in Singapore, Toh rose to prominence by winning three gold medals and one silver medal from his 4 events. [6] He was also a torch bearer alongside other Singaporean athletes such as Yip Pin Xiu and Tay Wei Ming [7]

2017 ASEAN Para Games

At the 2017 ASEAN Para Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Toh won two gold medals and one silver medal from his 3 events, [8] breaking several Games records for his events.

2018 Commonwealth Games

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia, Toh won the first para-swimming medal for Singapore in the Men's 50 metre freestyle S7 event, obtaining a bronze medal. He is also the second person to win a swimming medal for Singapore at the Commonwealth Games, following up on Joseph Schooling's silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, UK.

2018 Asian Para Games

At the 2018 Asian Para Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, Toh won the first medal for Singapore at the 2018 Asian Para Games, obtaining a gold medal in the Men's 50 metre freestyle S7 event on the first day of competition, beating competitors Daisuke Ejima from Japan and Ernie Gawilan from the Philippines. He went on to win another gold medal in the Men's 100 metre freestyle S7 event as well as a bronze medal in the Men's 100 metre backstroke S7 event, [9] becoming the most decorated Singaporean athlete of the Games. [10]

2020 Summer Olympics

At the 2020 Summer Olympics Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan, Toh finished fourth in the S7 50 metre Butterfly final, missing out on a bronze medal by 0.16 seconds. He also swam in the S7 50 metre Freestyle and S7 400 metre Freestyle finals, finishing seventh in both events respectively. [11]

2022 Commonwealth Games

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England, Toh won a silver medal for Singapore in the Men's S7 50 metre freestyle, [12] becoming the most decorated Singapore swimmer at the Commonwealth Games with one silver and one bronze medal.

2023 ASEAN Para Games

At the 2023 ASEAN Para Games held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Toh won three gold medals and two silver medals for Singapore over 5 events, setting new Games Records in the S7 Men's 50 metre Butterfly and S7 Men's 100 metre Freestyle respectively, with a new National Record set in the S7 Men's 100 metre Backstroke. [13]

2022 Asian Para Games

At the 2022 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, Toh won three gold medals and one silver medal for Singapore over 4 events, becoming the most decorated Singapore athlete at the 2022 Asian Para Games. [14] Toh was also the first medallist for Singapore at the Games with his silver medal in the S7 400 metre Freestyle event. [15] He later won three gold medals in the S7 100M Backstroke, the S7 50M Butterfly and the S7 50M Freestyle event respectively. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Singapore</span> Overview of sports traditions and activities in Singapore

Singaporeans participate in a wide variety of sports for recreation as well as for competition. Popular sports include football, swimming, track and field, basketball, rugby union, badminton, table tennis, and cycling. Many public residential areas provide amenities like swimming pools, outdoor spaces and indoor sport centres, with facilities for badminton, table tennis, squash among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virdhawal Khade</span> Indian swimmer

Virdhawal Vikram Khade is an Indian swimmer. He competed in the men's 50, 100, and 200 meters Freestyle swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, setting an Indian national record in 100 meters Freestyle. He failed to qualify for the semifinals in his events despite winning his qualification heat. Khade won a bronze medal in the 50 meters butterfly event at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou; it was India's first Asian Games medal in swimming in 24 years. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2011 by the Government of India.

Theresa Goh Rui SiBBM is a Singaporean swimmer and Paralympic medalist, with a bronze at the SB4 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She holds the world records for the SB4 50 metres and 200 metres breaststroke events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Walker (swimmer)</span> British Paralympic swimmer

Matthew "Matt" Benedict Walker MBE is a British swimmer who has participated in four Paralympic Games, winning eleven medals. He competes in the S7, SM7 (medley) and SB7 (breaststroke) classifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yip Pin Xiu</span> Singaporean Paralympic swimmer

Yip Pin Xiu is a Singaporean backstroke swimmer. She is a five-time Paralympic gold medallist and 5 time World Champion, with two world records in the 50 m backstroke S2 and the 100 m backstroke S2. Yip is Singapore's most decorated Paralympian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad le Clos</span> South African swimmer

Chad Guy Bertrand le Clos, OIS is a South African competitive swimmer who is an Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games champion. He is the African record, Commonwealth record, and South African record holder in the short course and long course 200-metre butterfly and the short course 100-metre butterfly. He also holds the African records and South African records in the long course 200-metre freestyle and 100-metre butterfly, and the short course 100-metre freestyle. Formerly, he was a world record holder in the short course 100-metre butterfly and 200-metre butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Levy</span> Australian Paralympic swimmer

Matthew John Levy, is a retired Australian Paralympic swimmer. At five Paralympic Games from 2004 to 2020, he has won three gold, one silver and six bronze medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Schooling</span> Singaporean swimmer

Joseph Isaac Schooling is a Singaporean professional swimmer who specialises in butterfly, freestyle and medley events. He was the gold medalist in the 100m butterfly at the 2016 Olympics, achieving Singapore's first ever Olympic gold medal. His winning time of 50.39s broke multiple records at the National, Southeast Asian, Asian and Olympic levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Haanappel</span> Australian Paralympic swimmer

Matthew Anthony "Matt" Haanappel, is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. He was born in Wantirna, Victoria and resides in the far eastern suburbs of Melbourne. He has cerebral palsy right hemiplegia. Haanappel has represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships, the 2014 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He represents the Camberwell Grammar School Aquatic club.

Quah Zheng Wen is a Singaporean professional swimmer who specialises in individual medley, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle events.

Benjamin Proud is an English competitive swimmer, representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games, the FINA World Aquatics Championships and LEN European Aquatics Championships, and England at the Commonwealth Games. Proud specialises in sprint freestyle and butterfly races, specifically the 50-metre distance in both. He is the 2022 World Champion in the 50 metre freestyle, his second long course world title. He is the 2017 world champion in the 50-metre butterfly. He is only the third male swimmer to be simultaneously short-course and long-course World Champion at 50 metre freestyle, after César Cielo and Florent Manaudou.

Marina Chan is a Singaporean freestyle and butterfly swimmer. Hailing from a prominent swimming family, Chan only took up the sport in her first year of high school. She has represented her country at the FINA World Cup, Asian Games, Asian Swimming Championships, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympic Games and the Asian Youth Games with her aim win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Beecroft</span> Australian Paralympic swimmer

Emily Beecroft is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. She won a silver and bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Thomas Kane</span> Australian Paralympic swimmer

Tiffany Thomas Kane, is a retired Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, winning a gold and three bronze medals, and at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, winning a further two bronze medals.

Kyle Chalmers, is an Australian competitive swimmer. He is a world record holder in the short course 100 metre freestyle, 4×100 metre medley relay, and long course 4×100 metre mixed freestyle relay. He is the Oceanian and Australian record holder in the short course 50 metre butterfly and 50 metre freestyle.

Eleanor "Ellie" Robinson is an English swimmer. Competing in SB6 and S6 classification events, Robinson holds the World record and the Paralympic record in the S6 50m butterfly and the World record in the 100m, setting both at the age of 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anshul Kothari</span> Indian swimmer

Anshul Ketan Kothari is an Indian competitive swimmer who has represented India in Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Tay Chin Joo is a Singaporean former national swimmer. She competed in the women's 100 metre butterfly at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Islam Aslanov is an Uzbekistani Paralympic swimmer. He won the bronze medal in the men's 100 metre butterfly S13 event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan.

Teong Tzen Wei is a Singaporean swimmer. He won the silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 50 m butterfly, becoming the third Singaporean athlete to win a swimming medal at the Commonwealth Games.

References

  1. "Commonwealth Games: Toh Wei Soong clinches swimming bronze in S7 50m freestyle final securing Singapore's first-ever Para Sports and Para Swimming medal at the Commonwealth Games". Straits Times . 9 April 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  2. "Asean Para Games: Winner is a study in balance". Straits Times . 19 September 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  3. "Looking to do Singapore proud at Asean Para Games". The New Paper . 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  4. "Swimmer Toh Wei Soong hungry for more". Straits Times . 5 December 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  5. "USP Student Named Sportsboy of the Year". www.usp.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  6. "Asian Para Games: Mental images of race help swimmer Toh bag Singapore's first medal - a gold - in Jakarta". Straits Times . 7 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  7. "Asean Para Games: Pride is different this time, says cauldron lighter Yip". Straits Times . 4 December 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  8. "Asean Para Games winners reap S$19,000 in cash rewards for gold medal performances". Today . 25 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  9. "Asian Para Games: Swimmer Toh Wei Soong wins third medal". Channel NewsAsia . 11 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  10. "Team Singapore net record medal haul at Asian Para Games". Channel NewsAsia . 13 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  11. "Swimming: Singapore's Toh Wei Soong finishes 4th in 50m butterfly S7 final at Tokyo Paralympics". CNA. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  12. "Swimming: Toh Wei Soong clinches silver at 2022 Commonwealth Games". CNA. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  13. "3 more ASEAN Para Games golds for Singapore, 2 more meet records for Toh Wei Soong". CNA. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  14. Ganesan, Deepanraj (27 October 2023). "Swimmer Toh Wei Soong 'not ecstatic' despite winning three gold medals at Asian Para Games". The Straits Times. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  15. "Swimmer Toh Wei Soong wins Singapore's first medal at Asian Para Games in Hangzhou". CNA. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  16. "Singapore swimmer Toh Wei Soong wins two golds in a day at Hangzhou Asian Para Games". CNA. Retrieved 2 November 2023.