Mikkel Lee gets back up to speed as Singapore swimmers eye 2028 Olympics spots

SINGAPORE – In 2023, Mikkel Lee’s swimming career looked set to soar after he posted a blistering 47.25sec anchor leg in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the Asian Games in 2023. The time was more than a second faster than Joseph Schooling’s national record of 48.27, though it did not count as a new mark.

His confidence, however, took a hit after he missed the cut for the 2024 Paris Olympics 50m and 100m freestyle. And when he did not meet the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) qualifying mark for his pet event, the 50m butterfly, at the Berlin Swim Open in April, he felt lost.

The 22-year-old, who is studying finance at Indiana University, told The Straits Times: “I was struggling in Berlin. I had three events, the 100m free, 50 fly and 50 free, and I was aiming to qualify on the 50 fly, but I didn’t have a great race as I had a terrible breakout that cost me quite a bit of time.

“I was alone in a foreign country, I had the 50 free left, and I was losing my head. I felt the 50 fly was my one shot to make the world championships and I blew it.”

A call with Singapore Aquatics technical director Sonya Porter helped Lee get back in the right headspace.

Lee, who won the 50m fly gold at the 2023 SEA Games, said: “She told me one bad swim doesn’t make me a bad swimmer, and to go back and shut off everything. Close my eyes, and think of all the good races I had, like the Asian Games and SEA Games swims. That gave me the confidence I needed for the 50 free the next morning.”

Eventually, he won the 50m freestyle final in 21.99 to go under the 22.05 WCH qualifying mark.

He added: “Making the cut was relief more than anything else, because I missed the Paris Olympics, and it’s an event I haven’t really made a breakthrough in, and I was hoping that I can piece everything together and have the perfect race.”

Besides Porter’s timely intervention, Lee also felt that he has become faster from training with bigger and stronger swimmers in the United States.

He said: “I want to be the best in the world, so I have to race with the big guys. I used to race well only when I’m ahead of the pack, and it’s clean and calm waters and there’s no waves and turbulence.

“In the US, the waves are way bigger, so I have learnt how to not avoid the waves but take it head on, but at the same time not be disrupted.”

Confidence boosted, Lee is hoping to qualify for Los Angeles 2028, especially with the Olympics including 50m events in the butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke for the first time.

Other national sprinters who will compete at the WCH include Teong Tzen Wei (50m fly), Quah Zheng Wen (50m back), Chan Junhao (50m breaststroke), Amanda Lim (50m free), Quah Ting Wen (50m fly), Levenia Sim (50m back) and Letitia Sim (50m breaststroke).

Noting that “the expanded programme will be inspiring for the younger generation”, Lee said that the depth of the squad would also mean that more swimmers could qualify for the Olympics.

Of the 16-member team competing at the WCH, national swimming coach Gary Tan is hopeful that some of them can progress from the heats. Teong qualified for the 50m fly final in 2022, while Gan Ching Hwee has made great strides in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle, and Letitia has done the same in the breaststroke events.

Tan said: “We have chosen to prepare in Singapore as the world championships will be held on home soil – there’s no need to acclimatise and travelling would be a hassle.

“While it was tough to be displaced from our usual training venue at the OCBC Aquatic Centre which was used for test events, we are grateful to train at the weatherproof facility at the Singapore Sports School.

“Our swimmers are in good spirits and look in good shape. Hopefully, this translates to fast times in the races. Although it’s going to be much tougher and faster than previous world championships, we believe they can set new personal bests and have a shot at the semi-finals.”