Singapore rower Saiyidah Aisyah qualifies for Paris Olympics

SINGAPORE: Eight years on from her Olympic Games debut, rower Saiyidah Aisyah will once again represent Singapore on sport’s biggest stage.

Competing in the women’s 2,000m lightweight single sculls at the Asian and Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea on Sunday (Apr 21), the Singaporean had to finish among the top five to book her spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

While the 36-year-old finished sixth out of six competitors, current qualification rules bumped her Japanese competitor who finished second in the event out of qualification contention.

Aisyah made history in 2016 by becoming the first Singaporean rower to qualify for the Olympics. She finished 23rd at the Rio Games.

She then retired from the sport a year later, before deciding to mount a comeback late last year in a bid to qualify for the Paris Games.

Aisyah has a number of SEA Games medals to her name, and made headlines in 2013, after winning Singapore’s first individual rowing gold.

She joins a number Singapore athletes who have qualified for the Paris Olympics, including reigning Asian Games 200m champion Shanti Pereira, fencer Amita Berthier, kitefoiler Max Maeder and the women's 4x100m medley swim team comprising Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen, Letitia Sim and Levinia Sim. 

On Saturday, kayaker Stephenie Chen punched her ticket for Paris after finishing third in the women’s K1 500m final at the ACC Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe Asian Championships, which doubles up as the Asian qualifier for this year's Games.