Singapore at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Singapore at the Olympics
IOC code	SGP
NOC	Singapore National Olympic Council
Medals Ranked 103rd	Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 2 3 6
Summer appearances
1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winter appearances
2018

Singapore has been sending its best athletes to the Olympic Games since 1948. Back then, Singapore was a special British territory called a crown colony. This was just a few months before the 1948 Summer Olympics began.

Singapore kept sending teams until 1964. For the 1964 Summer Olympics, Singaporean athletes joined the team from Malaysia.

After Singapore became fully independent from Malaysia in 1965, it started participating in almost every Summer Olympics. The only time they missed was in 1980. This was because Singapore joined a large United States-led boycott. Many countries boycotted the Games to protest against the Soviet Union's actions in Afghanistan.

Singapore made its first appearance at the Winter Olympics in 2018 Winter Olympics. Speed skater Cheyenne Goh was the first Singaporean to compete in a Winter Games. The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) is the group in charge of Singapore's Olympic teams.

Olympic Medals and Awards

Singaporean athletes who win medals at the Olympics can receive special awards. The Singapore National Olympic Council has a program called the Major Games Award.

• A gold medalist gets S$1 million.
• A silver medalist gets S$500 thousand.
• A bronze medalist gets S$250 thousand.

Teams that win medals also receive different amounts.

Singapore's Olympic Journey

Singapore has won six Olympic medals so far. The first medal was won in 1960. Then, more medals followed in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2024. In 2016, Singapore won its first ever gold medal!

First Medals and Historic Wins

Singapore's very first Olympic medal was a silver. It was won by Tan Howe Liang in lightweight weightlifting at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

The first and only Olympic gold medal for Singapore was won by Joseph Schooling. He won it in the men's 100 metre butterfly swimming event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In table tennis, some athletes came very close to winning medals. Jing Junhong, Li Jiawei, and Yu Mengyu all finished in fourth place in the women's singles events. This happened at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympics, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Breaking the Medal Drought

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Singapore sent its largest team ever. They were well-prepared to win a medal. The women's table tennis team, made up of Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei, and Wang Yuegu, played against South Korea. They won 3–2 in the semi-finals. This win guaranteed Singapore at least a silver medal. It also ended Singapore's 48-year wait for an Olympic medal! In the final, they played against host China and lost, but still won a silver medal.

More Medals in London

At the 2012 London Olympics, Feng Tianwei won a bronze medal in women's singles table tennis. She beat Kasumi Ishikawa from Japan. This was Singapore's first individual Olympic medal in 52 years!

Later, the women's table tennis team (Li, Feng, and Wang) won another bronze medal. They beat the South Korea team 3–0. Winning two bronze medals in 2012 was a big moment. It was the first time Singapore won more than one medal at a single Olympic Games.

Gold in Rio and Youngest Medalist

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, swimmer Joseph Schooling made history. He won a gold medal in the Men's 100 metre butterfly event. He set an Olympic record with a time of 50.39 seconds. This was Singapore's first-ever Olympic gold medal! It was also the first gold medal won by a male swimmer from Southeast Asia.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Singapore sent 23 athletes. However, they did not win any medals at those Games.

In the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Maximilian Maeder won a bronze medal. He competed in the Men’s Kite category in sailing. He was only 17 years old, making him Singapore's youngest individual Olympic medalist! He finished behind Toni Vodišek from Slovenia and Valentin Bontus from Austria.

Overall, athletes from Singapore have won 6 medals at the Olympics, including 1 gold.

Medal Tables

Medals by Summer Olympics Games Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 1948 London 1 0 0 0 0 – 1952 Helsinki 5 0 0 0 0 – 1956 Melbourne 52 0 0 0 0 – 1960 Rome 5 0 1 0 1 32 1964 Tokyo as part of  Malaysia (MAS) 1968 Mexico City 4 0 0 0 0 – 1972 Munich 7 0 0 0 0 – 1976 Montreal 4 0 0 0 0 – 1980 Moscow did not participate 1984 Los Angeles 5 0 0 0 0 – 1988 Seoul 8 0 0 0 0 – 1992 Barcelona 14 0 0 0 0 – 1996 Atlanta 14 0 0 0 0 – 2000 Sydney 14 0 0 0 0 – 2004 Athens 16 0 0 0 0 – 2008 Beijing 21 0 1 0 1 70 2012 London 23 0 0 2 2 75 2016 Rio de Janeiro 25 1 0 0 1 54 2020 Tokyo 23 0 0 0 0 - 2024 Paris 23 0 0 1 1 84 2028 Los Angeles future event Total 1 2 3 6 101

Medals by Winter Olympics Games Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 2018 Pyeongchang 1 0 0 0 0 - 2022 Beijing did not participate 2026 Milan/Cortina future event Total 0 0 0 0 –

List of Medalists

Medal	Name	Games	Sport	Event
2 Silver	Tan Howe Liang	1960 Rome	Weightlifting	Lightweight
2 Silver	Feng Tianwei Li Jiawei Wang Yuegu	2008 Beijing	Table tennis	Women's team
3 Bronze	Feng Tianwei	2012 London	Table tennis	Women's singles
3 Bronze	Feng Tianwei Li Jiawei Wang Yuegu	2012 London	Table tennis	Women's team
1 Gold	Joseph Schooling	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Swimming	Men's 100 m butterfly
3 Bronze	Maximilian Maeder	2024 Paris	Sailing	Formula Kite

See also

In Spanish: Singapur en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of flag bearers for Singapore at the Olympics
• Singapore at the Paralympics