Singapore exploded in celebration Saturday after homegrown swimming hero Joseph Schooling beat US legend Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly in Rio to win the tiny republic's first ever Olympic gold.
The 21-year-old Asian champion set a new Olympic record of 50.39sec as he edged out his American idol Phelps, who ended in a sensational dead heat for silver alongside South Africa's Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary.
In Singapore cheers broke out across housing estates and social media erupted in celebration as Schooling won in Brazil.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan, who was in Rio to cheer Team Singapore, led an outpouring of congratulations for Schooling, whose mixed European and Asian heritage has resonated in the immigrant society of 5.5 million people.
"It is an incredible feat, to compete among the world's best, stay focused, and emerge victorious," Lee said in a Facebook post.
Schooling will receive Sg$1.0 million ($743,000) for his gold medal as part of a programme aimed at encouraging studious Singaporeans to excel in sport.
"It's amazing that Singapore finally has a gold medal at the Olympics, I don't think anyone thought this was possible,"
Madeleine Lim, 62, told AFP.
"Schooling winning shows that even homegrown athletes can win an Olympic medal and I think it's a good example for our youth that sporting greatness is possible," said real estate agent
Michael Tan, 35, who cheered on Schooling at a coffeeshop in a residential estate.
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