“Swimmer Quah Ting Wen’s Olympic Appeal Rejected by Singapore Aquatics “

Singapore Aquatics’ appeal to World Aquatics for both Quah Ting Wen and Gan Ching Hwee to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics has been denied, according to an internal email. Despite this setback, the association is pressing forward with an additional appeal to the international governing body, World Aquatics, in hopes of allowing both athletes to participate.

The situation unfolded when 31-year-old Quah was replaced in Singapore’s Olympic swimming team by Gan, sparking disappointment and frustration from Quah, who was poised to participate in her final Olympics. She expressed confusion, noting that the relay team had trained extensively to secure a place in the Olympics and felt that the last-minute substitution was “unfair.”

Quah, along with teammates Letitia Sim, Levenia Sim, and her sister Jing Wen, qualified for the Olympics after setting a national record in the women’s 4x100m medley relay. Although World Aquatics initially granted an exemption for three relay-only swimmers, it later invited Gan, a freestyle swimmer, based on her “B” qualifying time, prompting SAQ to choose between Gan and one of the original relay swimmers.

SAQ cited its selection policy, established in June 2023, as the basis for the decision to select Gan over Quah. Following this, Quah lodged an appeal with SAQ, which is currently under review. The association aims to provide further updates on July 8 following the conclusion of the appeal process.