Swimmer Quah Zheng Wen to study and train in top US university
Singapore swimmer Quah Zheng Wen will be heading to the US for his studies and training, according to a report by The Straits Times.
Quah will be training at the University of California, Berkeley, and leave for the US on Thursday (12 January) in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the report said Tuesday.
The move comes six months after the swimmer received approval from the Ministry of Defence to defer his national service until after the 2020 Games. Quah is considered an Olympic medal prospect after he reached the 100m and 200m butterfly semi-finals at the 2016 Rio Games.
The 20-year-old will join the prestigious Cal Bears swim team, which are in Division 1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Swimming and Diving Championships. The team has produced top swimmers including three-time Olympic champion Ryan Murphy.
Quah is awaiting clearance from the NCAA to participate in the NCAA swimming championships, the ST report said.
If approved, Quah will follow in the footsteps of his national team-mate and Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, who is competing in the NCAA championships with the University of Texas at Austin.
