ASEAN athletes dream big in PyeongChang
Singapore’s short track speed skater Cheyenne Goh is the first Singaporean to compete at the Winter Games. / Courtesy of Singapore National Olympic Council
Singapore’s Goh aims to be better skater through the Olympics
By Kim Jae-kyoung
The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang is expected to be the coldest-ever Games in history.
A group of athletes from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) may feel the chill much more as they spend most of their lives in a winterless region where the entire year sees temperatures higher than 20 degrees Celsius in most places.
However, it seems that the cold weather is not going to be a big problem because their zeal to write their own “Cool Runnings” story and set a milestone is strong enough to melt away the cold.
“Cool Runnings” is a 1993 American comedy sports film based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.
Most of them are underdogs but they are excited to have the experience of being at the Olympics and become better athletes through the biggest winter sporting event in the world.
Singapore’s short track speed skater Cheyenne Goh is the first Singaporean to compete at the Winter Games. Also, she is the first short track speed skater to participate in the Games from Southeast Asia.
Coached by South Korean legend Chun Lee-kyung, the 18-year-old will race in the 1,500m scheduled for Feb 17 at the Gangneung Ice Arena.
“It’s a really huge honor to have this opportunity to represent my country at our first Winter Olympics,” Goh told The Korea Times.
“I’m very proud to have this chance to be a part of a milestone in Singapore’s sporting history.”
Goh believes that her outing in PyengChang will be a turning point in her career.
“I think the PyeongChang Olympics will be a really special experience, as well as an important part of my development as an athlete,” she added.
“I hope that I will be able to learn from my participation in ways that will make me a better skater in the future.”
Chun, South Korea’s four-time Olympic champion who has led Singapore’s national team since 2016, expects that Goh’s outing will help create a boom in winter sports in Southeast Asia.
“Singapore’s first-ever participation in the Winter Olympics will not only boost the popularity of winter sports in Southeast Asia but also provide the impetus for cooperation between Korea and the region,” she said.
Goh is not the only ASEAN athlete to compete in the PyeongChang Olympics slated for Feb. 9 to 25.
Several athletes from the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia are also ready to compete in the biggest winter sporting event.
Four athletes from Thailand will compete in PyeongChang ― siblings Mark and Karen Chanloung in cross-country skiing, and Nicola Zanon and Alexia Schenkel in Alpine skiing. It is Thailand’s biggest delegation for a Winter Olympics
It is the fourth time for Thailand to appear in the Winter Games. The country made a debut in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the U.S in 2002.
Asa Miller is the only athlete from the Philippines. The 17-year-old will be competing in the slalom ski event.
This is the fifth time for the Southeast Asian country to send athletes to the Winter Olympics.
Figure skater Julian Yee and skier Jeffrey Webb will represent Malaysia at the Winter Games.
ASEAN nations hope that the PyeongChang Olympics will be a turning point to encourage more people in their countries to take up winter sports.
"Her (Cheyenne Goh’s) qualification is a milestone not just for her, but for us as an association too. She should be proud and soak in the experience there, but for us we have to capitalize and promote the sport," The Straits Times quoted Singapore Ice Skating Association President Sonja Chong as saying.
"After Joseph Schooling's gold medal, many more became keen on swimming, and we are hoping that the same happens to us. We are fast-tracking more programs to get more into the sport."