New Olympic champion Joseph Schooling “can go as far as he wants to go” in his swimming career, said his coach of five years, Sergio Lopez.

Lopez, who will also officially step down from his role as Singapore national swimming head coach on Aug 30 after a 20-month stint, thinks Schooling can win more Olympic gold medals so long as the 21-year-old keeps to his plans of achieving more success.

Lopez also thinks that Schooling’s national team-mate, Quah Zheng Wen, who reached the semi-finals of the 100m and 200m butterfly at Rio, can go on to win a medal at the Olympics one day. “I’m confident Zheng Wen can win (an Olympic) medal (in the future),” said Lopez.

“As for Joseph, how much further can he go? The thing is, how much further than (winning) an Olympic gold medal can you go? Like Michael Phelps said at the (post-event) press conference, it is up to him. It is up to him at the next Olympics in 2020. Three years ago, he was 1min 59secs in the (200m) IM (individual medley) without really preparing.

“He is a very good freestyler like he proved at the 2016 Olympics. He got into the semis, in the top six. He has a very good 200m butterfly too. So, he could have a good repertoire of events (that he can do well in) at the Olympics if he prepares well.”

Lopez, who is Spanish, said Schooling must take some time alone to digest his 2016 Olympics feat.

“After I got the (Olympics) bronze medal in 1988, after a few days I left the country (Spain) because it was overwhelming. It was the first medal for somebody born and raised in Spain in the Olympics, in swimming,” he recalled.

“Everybody is having so much fun and enjoying (the celebrations in Singapore) but, if you sit down with him, he hasn’t been able to understand what has happened.

“He came back here, and since then, it is non-stop all the way. It is very hard for him to sit down, have a good beer, and say, wow, this is what I have done. He needs that. If he doesn’t do that, he will regret it, internally.” 
ADELENE WONG