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Neo Chwee Kok

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Neo.
Neo Chwee Kok
Neo at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full nameNeo Chwee Kok, John Paul[1]
NicknameFlying Fish
National teamSingapore
Born(1931-05-31)31 May 1931[2]
Singapore[2]
Died23 January 1987(1987-01-23) (aged 55)[1]
Singapore
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
Medal record
Men's swimming
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1951 New Delhi 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1951 New Delhi 800 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1951 New Delhi 1500 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1951 New Delhi 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1951 New Delhi 3×100 m medley

Neo Chwee Kok, John Paul (Chinese: 梁水国; pinyin: Liáng Shuǐguó; 31 May 1931 – 23 January 1987) was a legendary Singaporean swimmer who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was ranked third in a list of Singapore's 50 Greatest Athletes of the Century by The Straits Times in 1999.[3]

Early life

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Neo was born the fifth child in a family of eight in Singapore but grew up on Pulau Sambu, Riau, Indonesia.[2]

Swimming career

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In 1951, Neo was part of the Singapore contingent participating at the inaugural Asian Games.[4] Neo won 400m, 800m and 1,500m and the 4x100m freestyle events and a silver at the 3x100m medley event.[4]

In 1952, Neo was selected for the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland.[5]

After retiring from competitive swimming, Neo became a coach at Singapore Swimming Club.[5]

Personal life

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On 23 January 1987, Neo died of cancer at the age of 55.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Obituary - Mr Neo Chwee Kok, John Paul". The Straits Times. 24 January 1987. p. 30.
  2. ^ a b c Aplin, Nick; et al. (2012). Suryadinata, Leo (ed.). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 759–762.
  3. ^ "Here's the full list". The Straits Times. 19 December 1999. p. 52.
  4. ^ a b Lee, David (10 May 2024). "Singapore Aquatics over 85 years". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Johnson, Albert (24 January 1987). "Flying Fish' Chwee Kok dies". The Straits Times. p. 31. Retrieved 20 August 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. ^ Jalleh Jr, Ken (1 February 1987). "Death ends an illustrious era, but Chwee Kok's legacy lives on". The Straits Times. p. 19.
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