No SEA Games for Soh Rui Yong? Medal hunt in jeopardy after ‘abnormal’ ECG result

BANGKOK – Top distance runner Soh Rui Yong’s bid for a 10,000m medal at the Thailand SEA Games has hit a major snag, as the 34-year-old Singaporean could miss the Dec 9-20 meet due to a health-related twist.

On Dec 4, Soh went for a routine pre-Games medical screening at Changi General Hospital (CGH), where he was informed that he might not be cleared to compete.

In a memo from the hospital seen by The Straits Times, the doctor noted that Soh’s electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test to track one’s heart activity – is “abnormal, with multiple premature ventricular complexes”, adding that he is “likely to need further cardiovascular evaluation before clearance”.

A two-time marathon champion at the Games, Soh was aiming for a podium spot in the 10,000m after winning a silver in the 2023 edition. On Nov 29, he clocked 30min 33.29sec at the Nittaidai Challenge Games in Tokyo to eclipse the previous 10,000m national record of 31:02.40 set by Shaun Goh in August.

While he is disappointed, Soh told ST that he has not experienced any cardiovascular difficulties previously and hopes that the issue will be resolved in time for his race on Dec 16.

Despite the development, he is still planning to compete in the

half marathon and marathon at this weekend’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM)

, where he is gunning for a double triumph on Dec 6 and 7.

Soh said: “The doctor told me that he can’t clear me and strongly recommends I don’t compete and said the chances are that I won’t be cleared before Tuesday (Dec 9) when I am scheduled to leave for Thailand.

“It is a bit funny that if I can run a national record so recently and then be told that I should not go and race a few weeks after at the SEA Games. Ultimately, it’s one of those things that’s a safety precaution more than anything else. But I understand that for these doctors, once there is a slight chance there is something wrong, they won’t clear it.

“I hope they can expedite this case. It is unfortunate, but this is the situation. Maybe I am naive, but I feel fine and I know I can compete.”

ST understands that the matter will now be referred to Sport Singapore’s (SportSG) High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI), and further tests will be conducted.

Responding to queries, SportSG noted that all Singapore athletes undergo “comprehensive medical assessments” as part of its protocol for all major Games.

Its spokesperson added: “The evaluations, typically conducted once every two years, are compulsory and designed to ensure that athletes are physically fit and able to compete safely. During these medical checks, any potential health concerns are identified and investigated. Athletes whose assessments reveal irregularities are referred for further tests and specialist review to determine their fitness to compete.”

ST has also contacted Singapore Athletics (SA) for comment.

Winner of the SEA Games marathon gold in 2015 in Singapore and in 2017 in Malaysia,

Soh in August won a successful appeal to compete in Bangkok

.

Despite meeting the 2hr 35min 49sec qualifying mark by clocking 2:27:49 at the Houston Marathon in January, he was omitted from the initial list of athletes released by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on Aug 6.

The council said then that its selection committee did not support Soh’s nomination and highlighted its commitment to sending athletes “who not only meet the performance benchmarks but also uphold the values and behaviours expected of Singapore’s national representatives”.

Soh was also not selected for the Games in 2019 and 2022, as well as the 2018 Asian Games, following clashes with the SNOC.

He was picked for the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, where he did not compete in the marathon but won the 10,000m silver.

But he missed the Asian Games in China later that year for failing to “honour commitments which he had provided to the SNOC” as the organisation noted that he had “continued to make disparaging and derisive remarks about others in the public domain”.

However, on Aug 28, an SNOC spokesperson said its appeals committee is satisfied with SA’s assurance that Soh will uphold his responsibilities in representing the nation at the Games.