Asian Games 2018: Jakarta & Palembang, Aug 18-Sept 2

Asian Games: Pressure spurs gritty 16-year-old swimmer Jonathan Tan

Games debutant, 16, holds nerve to anchor 4x200m quartet to bronze and national mark

Left: Quah Zheng Wen, Joseph Schooling and Danny Yeo celebrating as Jonathan Tan secures third place in the 4x200m freestyle, Singapore's first podium finish at these Asian Games. Below: (From left) Schooling, Quah, Jonathan and Yeo with their bronze
Above: Quah Zheng Wen, Joseph Schooling and Danny Yeo celebrating as Jonathan Tan secures third place in the 4x200m freestyle, Singapore's first podium finish at these Asian Games. ST PHOTOS: KEVIN LIM
Left: Quah Zheng Wen, Joseph Schooling and Danny Yeo celebrating as Jonathan Tan secures third place in the 4x200m freestyle, Singapore's first podium finish at these Asian Games. Below: (From left) Schooling, Quah, Jonathan and Yeo with their bronze
Above: (From left) Schooling, Quah, Jonathan and Yeo with their bronze medals at the Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Centre. ST PHOTOS: KEVIN LIM
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

He was racing for Singapore's first medal at these Asian Games, and being hunted down by South Korea's Lee Ho-joon in the final leg of the men's 4x200m freestyle relay amid a cacophony from a raucous crowd yesterday.

But 16-year-old Jonathan Tan kept his head down, fixed his gaze on the wall of the pool at the Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Centre and held his nerve to pull off his biggest swim under the greatest pressure he had ever experienced.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 21, 2018, with the headline Asian Games: Pressure spurs gritty 16-year-old swimmer Jonathan Tan. Subscribe