chinese pinyin born january china born competitive swimmer specializing butterfly stroke student represented singapore southeast asian games sea games asian games holds national records won gold medals bronze sea games philippines reached finals women metres metres metres butterfly events commonwealth games melbourne gain medals december took gold medal metres butterfly asian games beating china multi gold breaking national record process singapore athlete sea games thailand winning gold medals earlier year female swimmer reach world championships final finishing seventh metres butterfly olympic début singapore summer olympics beijing qualified metres finals ranking fourth semifinals time seconds setting asian records days swimmer enter olympic final emerged fifth women metres butterfly finals time seconds early life education born january child wife provincial swimmers swimming coaches early years spent capital province started swimming age started competitive swimming time contest won gold medals broke age records occasion particular local meet confident winning parents attend lost upset worried losing face asked parents come future competitions overcome fear parents tradition attending meets order distract age years brought singapore mother difficult parents decide send singapore father initially idea time training provincial swimming team earning monthly salary good chance join chinese national team decided deemed short national team mother earning found covering swimming expenses difficult addition english good join primary class years older classmates found things tough going worked hard took extra language lessons english singapore citizen august secondary student expected continue education graduates diploma sports science arrangement school trains school swimming coach previously following reported contract dispute started training october career national swimmer represented singapore southeast asian games sea games asian games following success 1st open championships won gold medals named outstanding female swimmer 23rd sea games held philippines later year won metres metres butterfly metres medley relay teammates march following year won gold metres butterfly asia swimming championships singapore republic award competition march took commonwealth games melbourne reaching finals metres metres metres butterfly gain medals december year won gold medal metres butterfly asian games beating china multi gold breaking national record process won bronze medal metres butterfly earlier tournament recording national asian mark seconds female swimmer reach world championships final world championships held melbourne march april finished seventh metres butterfly later year sea games thailand singapore athlete games winning gold medals metres metres butterfly metres medley relay june named year singapore sports awards given year won award january embroiled controversy introduced levy cash awards given swimmers set aside youth development government multi million dollar award programme map received winning individual titles team gold sea games going youth development unhappy said want youth find money pay awards hard work got money don point money youths said school borne expense overseas training said disappointed comments pointed association spent easily excess sending competitions abroad world championships stint vice president told press funding dollars going development doesn matter avenue comes singapore support summer olympics olympic début singapore summer olympics beijing arriving ranked 26th butterfly swimmers august second day swimming competition qualified fourth fastest semifinals metres butterfly winning heat personal best time seconds following day finals seconds personal best time new asian record seconds came fourth role model australian swimmer usa australia set asian records national record event eighth fastest butterfly swimmer world swimmer enter olympic final august came fifth metres butterfly finals time seconds spots taken seconds seconds seconds asked performance said given personal best gotten medal winners good wanted best pushed way hoped best given age compared hopes able improve performance summer olympics london august swam second heat metres butterfly finished fifth 26th field proceed semi finals time minutes seconds new national record discussions begun plans future development high performance chief said money factor providing support necessary resources reach potential olympics target needs gain high level competing experience issue continue training singapore head overseas particularly australia events november arena swimming world cup singapore achieved gold metres short course metres butterfly following evening bronze metres butterfly personal best time seconds repeated feat metres butterfly stockholm leg competition november berlin november set competition record time seconds named inaugural year came second today newspaper list athletes year participated 25th southeast asian games december took gold metres time minutes seconds days later winning metres medley relay team december broke games record metres butterfly time minutes seconds wins including metres butterfly events successful games date november won singapore gold medal asian games china metres butterfly time seconds personal best national record achieved silver metres butterfly november summer olympics competed singapore summer olympics london women metres butterfly reached semifinals held july time seconds join swimmers advanced finals times seconds day women metres national record time minute seconds advance heats ranking 26th swimmers medals national records july holder following singapore records open information obtained singapore national records long course metres june archived original august retrieved august years age information obtained singapore national records long course metres june archived original august retrieved august
Tao Li