In a move that sent shockwaves rippling through the local sporting fraternity, national swimming coach Sergio Lopez announced yesterday that he will step down after the Olympics in August – less than halfway into his five-year contract.

In a press statement sent by the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA), Lopez, a Spaniard with American citizenship, said he is stepping down after receiving a better offer from the United States.

Lopez, a 200m breaststroke bronze medallist with Spain at the 1988 Olympics, said: “I’ve had a wonderful journey over the past 15 months and garnered much success with the wonderful talents in Singapore. However, I have received a good opportunity to move back to the US with my family and made the tough decision to leave my role here and return home.”

Lopez, whose wife and two children are living here with him, will join the Auburn University swimming and diving team in Alabama as associate head coach. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division 1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the highest tier of the American collegiate programme.

In the same statement, SSA secretary general Oon Jin Teik promised “minimal, if any, disruptions” to the national swimmers’ training programme as SSA embarks on a search for his replacement.

Upon Lopez’s departure, SSA said assistant coach Gary Tan will take over as acting national coach while they expect high-performance manager Sonya Porter, who was recommended by Lopez, to stay on.

A committee to headhunt the next national coach will be formed. The Straits Times understands that Lopez has offered to be on this committee to help ease the transition.

National swimmers were emotional when Lopez, 47, broke the news to them yesterday evening at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. Many, including the coach, broke down in tears, while others were stunned into silence by the bombshell.

SSA executive committee members and staff from the Singapore Sports Institute were present at the announcement. Some swimmers’ parents were also present. The athletes were told to bring their parents for an announcement but had no idea what was in store.

A swimmer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was confusion as to why Lopez stepped down. Some wondered if there was more to his departure.

After all, events in the pool have gone swimmingly since he was appointed, with the coach forging a strong bond with his charges.

That said, Lopez had voiced his dissatisfaction at the Singapore system, citing national service and the prioritising of academic pursuits as obstacles he had to deal with.

Another swimmer said Lopez was “an amazing coach in and out of the pool”. And it showed. Under his guidance, the swimmers won a record 23 gold medals at last year’s SEA Games.

Previously known here for guiding Singapore swim star Joseph Schooling for five years at the Bolles School in Florida, Lopez has worked wonders since replacing Ian Turner in January last year.

Swimmers have clocked faster times. Quah Zheng Wen met the Olympic ‘A’ mark – which guarantees a spot at the Games – for three events. Addressing the concerns, SSA said it will further engage the national swimmers and their parents, including seeking their feedback in the search process.

This article was first published on April 30, 2016.
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There is something about the National Stadium that brings the best out of Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira. The 2015 SEA Games 200m champion returned to the scene of her biggest triumph so far to win the women’s 200m final yesterday at the 78th Singapore Open.

The 19-year-old clocked a time of 24.04sec to clinch her first gold of the meet, beating Malaysian Zaidatul Husnia (24.36) and Thi Oanh Nguyen (24.48) from Vietnam.

Despite her fine form, the women’s 100m (11.80) and 200m (23.60) national record-holder is still short of meeting the Olympic Qualifying Standard of 23.20s by the July 11 deadline.

Her chance of going to Rio de Janeiro on a wildcard entry has been blocked owing to marathoner Neo Jie Shi’s qualification but former national sprinter and record-holder C. Kunalan urged Shanti to not give up her hopes for August just yet.

Kunalan, the Singapore Athletic Association (SAA) vice-president, said: “Shanti came so close in her 200m race. She has no reason to stop thinking about Olympic qualification. Why must it be impossible to qualify? Shanti can still break the Olympic marks and be able to represent us – there’s still time.”

However, Shanti is looking further ahead, saying: “The Asian Games is definitely on the cards for me in 2018, and hopefully the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

On Thursday, Shanti placed second in the women’s 100m final with a time of 11.84s. Malaysia’s Komalam Selvaretnam clinched gold (11.82) while compatriot Siti Fatimah came in third (11.90).

Meanwhile, the male wildcard entry is still open to athletes with the likes of Zubin Percy Muncherji and Calvin Kang in the mix.

Kang, who took part in yesterday’s 4x100m men’s relay and finished fifth, said: “Currently, there’s different selection criteria and the last I heard, they (SAA) want to nominate someone who hasn’t been to the Olympics.”

Kang represented Singapore in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games after being given the wildcard and competed in the men’s 100m.

The 26-year-old added: “That might not give me the chance to go to Rio but I’m not sure. I’m just going to give my best this season and let my legs do the talking.”

This article was first published on April 30, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.