Retirement on the horizon for Yeo
Freestyle specialist thinking about retirement, but still sets short-term goals
When he failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics earlier this year, Singapore swimmer Danny Yeo penned a long post on social media, citing his disappointment but thanking his coaches and supporters.
The 26-year-old also wrote that he felt a "sense of peace and calmness", as he had given his best.
After competing at the recent Fina/airweave Swimming World Cup Singapore at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, Yeo told The New Paper that he has considered hanging up his goggles this year.
RETIREMENT
"I am one of the oldest guys in the national squad and (retirement) definitely crossed my mind before," said the 2011 South-east Asia (SEA) Games men's 200m freestyle gold medallist.
"But I think it's not the time yet... if I can still make a contribution to the team, I will definitely still swim, be it in the individual events or the relays."
While some of his teammates who have also failed in their push for the Rio Olympics have already committed themselves to major meets on the horizon such as the 2018 Asian Games and even the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Yeo is hesitant to set long-term targets for himself.
"I have been through a lot in these two years," said the freestyle specialist, who has collected seven SEA Games relay gold medals since 2009.
"I had dengue this year, and before that I also had a shoulder injury, as well as tonsillitis.
"I am getting older, I am not sure how much more my body can take, so I am just taking it one meet at a time."
He said he will be competing at the short-course world championships in Canada in December, and will be aiming to compete at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur next year.
"Beyond that (the SEA Games), I am not too sure yet," he said.
"I have to go year by year now."
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