Raffles Institution's Anson Loh rebounds from discus disaster, smashes B Division shot put record

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Lin Tianbao

SINGAPORE - In the lead-up to the B Division boys' discus final at the Home Of Athletics on April 3, Raffles Institution's Anson Loh was widely expected to beat the meet record after coming within 3cm of surpassing the mark in 2023.

But instead of rewriting the record, the 16-year-old settled for second place with a 47.69m throw, while the gold medal went to Hwa Chong Institution's Lee Yu Foong (48.04m).

Despite the disappointment, Anson bounced back in style in the shot put final five days later. He bettered the meet record of 16.08m - set by RI's Matthew Lee in 2018 - five times for good measure, before clinching the gold with a distance of 17.57m.

He said: "To put it plainly, I wasn't prepared for the conditions that were presented to me during the discus final.

"I had the shot put at hand, so I just tried to set the result aside, but I was equally disappointed because it seemed like all my efforts in training went down the drain in just six throws, so it was quite disheartening.

"I felt pretty excited about the shot put record, because I know it means opening more doors for me to continue pursuing this event, and how I recovered from the discus loss was also a good response."

This was not the only time he has made headlines, having also set the C Division discus meet record in 2022.

In the discus final, Anson's sole target was breaking the record and improving his distances. But the sweltering heat and a lightning alert delay, along with an empty stomach, affected his focus.

Noting that these were "just excuses", he added that he should have been better prepared.

The teenager also admitted that he was psychologically affected by the constant questioning from others about what had happened that day.

"The teachers consoled me and said what mattered more was how I responded to that competition, and I could do it by doing well in the next one," he said candidly.

"I thought back to what I reflected on after discus and told myself I had to perform well no matter what happens, and my family were also in the stands supporting me."

This time, he thrived under pressure.

He said: "After the first throw, I told myself this was my last competition in B Division and people are pretty much going to look at how good I am at the event, so that really motivated me to give my all and focus on what's in front of me."