\n<\/p>\n
Bastian Dohling, deputy general manager at the Singapore Athletic Association, said the collaboration with the HPSI\u00a0has helped athletes to progress and reach higher standards this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have much more support when it comes to sports science experts (and) performance analytics or biomechanics,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially on the relay team side \u2013<\/span> our relay coaches have been working very closely with our team at HPSI, and we have seen huge improvements in training. Hopefully, that translates into performance gains at major competitions as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Rozario is among 23 Singapore track and field athletes making their SEA Games debut, coming off a standout season with record-breaking performances.<\/p>\n At the Thailand Open Track & Field Championships in June, she came just 2cm shy of the long jump national record after jumping 6.16m, which earned her the silver medal.<\/p>\n No Singaporean has ever medalled in the women\u2019s triple jump, while the last woman to bag a long jump medal at the SEA Games was Foo Hwei Fen who scored a bronze in 1989.<\/p>\n Rozario said going into the Games on the back of a strong season is \u201cdefinitely a confidence booster\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMy coach and I started this year with the SEA Games in mind, and so every competition leading up to it has been a building block. We’ve been learning each round, and I think it’s been super helpful in helping me to finetune what I need to perform my best,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Dohling said while they do not expect all first-time SEA Games competitors to bag medals, they are expected to \u201cprogress and to get even better\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, we want them to progress towards the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games next year as well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI want especially our younger athletes, to learn to deal with that pressure that comes with a major competition, and to come back stronger and to go into the next competition. So it’s really progression \u2013 that\u2019s the big theme.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nPROGRESS IS KEY<\/h2>\n