JAKARTA • Three days ago, Roanne Ho was vomiting. At one stage, roughly seven times in 45 minutes. The 24-year-old was plagued with a stomach bug and unsure if she was in any shape to compete.
Yesterday, the Singaporean defied the odds, the flu and her rivals to clinch the country's first Asian Games breaststroke medal.
Ho's 31.23-second effort, a national record, had initially placed her third but she was then moved up to second after Japan's Miho Teramura was disqualified.
Ho, who was sixth in the heats, said: "I feel like the term comeback queen for me is quite apt... I was quite thankful that I managed to be here (this morning).
"I knew it was going to be close, but in the 50m anything can happen. I was just hoping to do my best and see what I could get out of it.
"When I saw the three it was a pleasant surprise, then when I saw the two it was an even bigger surprise."
She had previously struggled with injury, including a life-threatening collapsed lung in 2016.
Competing in her third Asiad here, she attributed these results to hard work and a change in attitude.
"In 2014, I went there mostly as a participant. I never aimed for anything I think because none of us dared to dream that we would win a medal at the Asian Games," she said, adding that Joseph Schooling winning a medal of each colour at the previous edition in Incheon and her performance at the 2015 SEA Games led to greater self-belief.
"Coming here, it was like (I had) a new purpose - I didn't want to just be a participant or just a finalist."
Asked how she felt upon watching the digits next to her name change from 3 to 2, Ho replied: "I was hoping there would be two DQs, then I become No. 1," before promptly bursting into laughter.
Her casual remark turned to reality in the women's 4x100m medley relay when China and South Korea - who placed second and third respectively - were disqualified for illegal changeovers, bumping Hong Kong (4min 3.15sec) up to second and fifth-placed Singapore (4:09.65) to third. Japan won in a Games record of 3:54.73.
The Republic's Hoong En Qi, Samantha Yeo, sisters Quah Jing Wen and Ting Wen whooped in celebration, sharing hugs with the Hong Kong team as the results were confirmed.
Jing Wen, 17, said: "I don't think I've ever seen two teams or two swimmers disqualified in a heat or final and we just went out there and did our best, we had fun and I was just cracking some jokes to lighten the mood and that really happened.
"It's a huge step forward. We did get our medal, not through preferable ways but it's definitely a step forward for our women's team."
Ting Wen, 26, had taken off her medal after the victory ceremony and was about to keep it in the box provided. Then, she stopped.
"You know what, I don't have a lot of these," she said. "I want to wear it for as long as I can. I kind of like the weight around my neck."
Nicole Chia
