Cheers and shouts of joy were heard all around the neighbourhood as exuberance filled the atmosphere. Today, 13 Aug 2016, we witnessed Singapore making history. Today, our very own talent, Joseph Schooling, won Singapore’s first-ever Olympic Gold medal in the 100m butterfly event at Rio 2016.
Schooling, 21, set an Olympic record with a time of 50.39 seconds, smashing the Olympic Games record of 50.58s, set by Michael Phelps at Beijing 2008. However, setting a record wasn’t his key motivation. This is what he told the press (TODAY Newspaper) after his historic win.
“I’m all about winning medals and trying to win. It’s great to be the first to make top eight, but we have a lot of young talent coming up, and I’m sure a lot of people in the future from Singapore can make top eight. You shouldn’t only be looking at making top eight, you should be looking at winning medals and winning gold medals. So that’s what I’m trying to set.
“(Yes) that’s another benchmark (the new Asian record). (But) it’s all about winning the gold medal, I don’t care about breaking the world record and getting a silver or bronze, so I still lost. It’s all about winning.”
– Joseph Schooling
What’s most important to him isn’t whether he sets a new record, its about coming up tops against his competition! I’ve love to get an opportunity to speak with Joseph and explore his talents with him, though I’m sure he’s swamped with media attention right now. But if I had to guess, one of his Top Talent Themes would be the Competition Talent theme.
Here’s the description of the Clifton StrengthsFinder Talent Theme:
Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people’s performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don’t compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.
I would wager that Joseph School’s strive for being number #1 gave him the drive, persistence and grit in his training that won him his Gold medal. And that Gold Medal is perhaps one of his greatest satisfaction in life at this moment. But he will soon be looking for his next competition, his next challenge, and his next gold medal! (Yes we are looking for more Singapore Gold Medals! Woohoo!)
Go Joseph Schooling! Make Singapore Proud!
(Photo Source: The Straits Times)
Read more about Joseph Schooling at the Rio 2016 Olympics
- ‘It’s all about winning the gold medal’: Schooling
- Somebody (His Name’s Joseph Schooling) Finally Beats Michael Phelps
- Joseph Schooling is Singapore’s first-ever Olympics champion
- Michael Phelps LOSES his final individual Olympic race to Singapore’s Joseph Schooling, having to settle for a three-way tie for silver
- Once a star-struck teenager, Joseph Schooling now challenging swim idol Michael Phelps for Olympic medal
- Singapore swimmer beats his idol Michael Phelps in Rio Olympics 100m butterfly final
