By Nicole Chia
A fervent, fiery effort from Toh Wei Soong in his last race of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on 7 September earned him a time of 30.96 seconds in the 50m butterfly S7 final – an admirable improvement from his 31.66 timing in the heats that morning.
"Sports can be very difficult, with its ups and downs, and it seems I caught the down this time in Paris," said Toh, noting he had good physical preparation before the Games with full support in the areas of sports science, physiotherapy and physiology. "I’m a much stronger athlete than I was in Tokyo, with more technical finesse and knowledge than any other time in my life, but unfortunately it did not come together this Paralympic Games.
"The psychological aspect is something I’ve been working on for some time, and reflecting a little bit, it was perhaps the many changes to my life that have happened since Tokyo that played a factor this week, from finishing university and transitioning to the reality of a full-time athlete to moving out of my parents’ house for the first time to live more independently. There are other things too, but to cut it short, I feel that I’m in the midst of a transition in my life and I would not be surprised if it had some unconscious bearing on these Games."
The 25-year-old finished in 8th place at a bustling La Defense Arena, which was filled with high-spirited spectators waving flags and dancing as they soaked in the lively atmosphere on the last day of the para swimming competition. World champion and Tokyo 2020 runner-up Andrii Trusov of Ukraine sprinted to gold in a European record of 28.75. Defending champion Carlos Daniel Serrano Zarate of Colombia was second in 29.08 and Neutral Paralympic Athlete Egor Efrosinin finished third in 29.69.
Entering the Paris 2024 Games, Toh was ranked ninth in the 50m butterfly S7 event this year with his time of 31.18, which was clocked in May en route to winning the event at the Citi Open Para Swimming Series Singapore. Toh, who turns 26 next week, is the last Singaporean in action at the Paris 2024 Games. He also raced in the 100m backstroke S7 and 50m freestyle S7 earlier this week, placing ninth (1:16.24) and eighth (29.51) respectively.
The Paris 2024 Games marks his second Paralympics appearance and Toh acknowledged he had put a lot of pressure on himself to perform at these Games. On his Paralympic debut in Tokyo, he reached the finals in all three of his events on his Paralympic debut in Tokyo and was just 0.16 seconds away from a medal in the 50m butterfly S7.
"With Tokyo, if you do not know better, you might be more content with the unknown unknowns. Now as a full-fledged Paralympian on his second run at the Games, there were many things weighing in my mind and I forgot to have fun for most of it," he explained.
Still, there are positives from Paris that the five-gold Asian Para Games champion can be proud of, and valuable lessons to take as he continues his quest for excellence. "In the races, I achieved some of the best stroke counts I have ever swum in races, meaning that my technical skill has improved and my stroke efficiency is the best it has ever been," added Toh, who started swimming competitively in 2013. "Putting the jigsaw altogether is the next goal for myself, weaving in both the physical and the psychological, especially as someone who tends to overthink and live in the mind too much.
"These will be the things I can look forward to in LA 2028, preferably as a wiser athlete and human being."
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games took place in Paris, France from 28 August to 8 September 2024. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.