Singapore at the Olympics

Singapore has sent athletes to most Summer Olympic Games held since 1948, when it was established as a separate British Crown Colony from the Straits Settlements just over three months before the commencement of the 1948 Summer Olympics. It continued to send a team to the Games until 1964 when Singapore was part of Malaysia, which sent a combined team. Upon Singapore's full independence from Malaysia in 1965, the country continued to participate in all subsequent editions of the Summer Games except in 1980 when the country participated in a large Olympic boycott. No athletes from Singapore have competed in any Winter Olympic Games.

The country has won two Olympic medals, one in the 1960 Summer Games, and one at the 2008 Summer Games. [ [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/369089/1/.html Olympics: Singapore paddlers settle for silver in women's team final] ]

The first medal was won by Tan Howe Liang, who won a silver medal in lightweight weightlifting in 1960.

In table tennis, Jing Jun Hong and Li Jiawei came close to winning medals by finishing in fourth place at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics respectively. Singapore sent a big contingent to the Beijing Olympics, and many feel that with many 'home' players in Singapore's squad, this was their best chance of winning a medal since 1960, and they were proved right.

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Li, together with Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu, beat the South Korea Women's Table Tennis team, comprising of Dang Ye Seo, Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young 3-2 in the semi-finals, assuring Singapore of at least a silver medal, ending Singapore's 48-year Olympic medal drought. Singapore faced host China in the gold medal final. [ [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/SIN_T.shtml Medallists for Singapore] ]

Medalists

References