Nearly 16,000km from these shores, inside a three-pool aquatic centre in a small American town, a Singaporean is learning to go fast again. Christiansburg, Virginia was once home to the American folk hero Davy Crockett but has been the recent residence of Joseph Schooling. In those distant waters, he is polishing his skills.
The 21-year-old who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics in 50.39 seconds will be 26 when he steps on the blocks in Tokyo for the heats on July 29. Till that week at least he will be defending champion and if the pressure is building then he seems at ease.
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