In an article that originally appeared on todayonline.com, Olympic gold medalist Joseph Schooling revealed for the first time he intends to swim professionally through 2024, when he will likely hang up his goggles.
Speaking in advance of the 2018 Asian Games, which are currently underway, Schooling emphasized moving past his Olympic gold from Rio as he looked toward his new life as a pro athlete: “Rio changed my life, but I like to live in the present… I want to swim until 2024, I don’t think I want to swim past 2024 right now.”
The 23-year-old also acknowledged his less than stellar 2017 and 2018 was “much needed,” giving him perspective to get back on track with his focus and training:
“Last year was an interesting year, it was much needed, but this year we’re right back on track and you don’t really think about medals, you think about racing yourself. I come into this week trying to race myself, trying to race my expectations and that’s all I can focus on.”
In the two years following his Olympic gold medal he failed to repeat as NCAA Champion in the 100 and 200 butterfly. He was dethroned by Caeleb Dressel the last two years in the 100 and failed to score in the 200 both years. Schooling is the defending Asian Games Champion in the 100 butterfly, which he won in 2014 in 51.76, and also picked up a silver in the 50 butterfly and a bronze in the 200 butterfly at those Games. Schooling had stated earlier this year that he may be dropping the 200 butterfly from his international event schedule, and he did not swim that event on the first day in Jakarta.
The Singapore native, who signed with Speedo earlier this year after graduating from the University of Texas, is entered in five events this week at the Asian Games: the 50m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly, men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, and 4x100m medley relay. He recently just picked up a bronze in the 4×200 free relay for Singapore.
TodayOnline contributed to this report.
Who does he train with these days?