Olympian Joseph Schooling apologizes for smoking weed amid backlash

Olympic gold medalist and swimmer Joseph Schooling, 27, has apologized for smoking weed in Vietnam after backlash from his native Singapore. Singapore’s drug laws are among the strictest in the world, and the stigma there is strong.

He went to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he won two gold medals competing for the 2022 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi while on leave from military service and was caught smoking weed there.

Heads are spinning at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Singapore Ministry of Defense after learning of Schooling’s cannabis use from the country’s Central Narcotics Bureau. The Singapore Ministry of Defense issued a press release on August 30 announcing that Schooling would be subject to a drug test in the next six months.

“The Central Narcotics Bureau has closed its investigation into PTE Joseph Schooling and has turned over management of the case to the SAF because he is a full-time National Service agent,” the release said. “Urine controlled drug tests performed at PTE Joseph Schooling came back negative. However, PTE Schooling admitted to using cannabis abroad in May 2022, when he left full-time National Service (NS) at short notice to train and attend the Southeast Asian Games.

“Under the existing protocol, PTE Schooling will be subject to a supervised urine testing program for six months. All SAF employees who test positive during this regime will be charged and sentenced accordingly.”

Lancaster Online reports that Schooling posted an apology on Instagram in a post that has since been deleted.

“I succumbed to a moment of weakness after going through a very difficult time in my life,” Schooling said in a message posted to Instagram Tuesday night. “I’m sorry my actions have hurt everyone around me, especially my family and the young fans who look up to me.”

“I made a mistake and I am responsible for what I did. I will make amends and correct what is wrong. I won’t let you down again,” the post reads.

Yahoo! News editor Chia Han Keong wrote an op-ed saying schooling deserves empathy — not backlash — for a crime as small as cannabis. Meanwhile, Schooling’s entire reputation is at stake.

School vs. Phelps

In 2016, Schooling beat Michael Phelps – the most successful Olympian of all time – in the 100 meter butterfly in Rio de Janeiro. Schooling has described Phelps as his “idol” and was thrilled to beat him at his own game.

While studying at the University of Texas at Austin, the school was sent to the Olympics. He retired at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics trying to defend his 100m butterfly title.

Ironically, Phelps himself was forced to apologize in the United States when he was caught smoking weed by a British tabloid, and a photo of Phelps smoking a bong surfaced that quickly went viral in 2008. For any other 23-year-old, it would have been considered normal behavior.

“I have acted youthfully and inappropriately,” Phelps said in a statement. Like Schooling, Phelps probably had no choice but to publicly express his regret for smoking weed.

“I engaged in behavior that was unfortunate and showed poor judgement. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I’ve acted youthfully and inappropriately, not in the way people expect me to,” Phelps said. “I’m sorry for that. I promise my fans and the public – it won’t happen again.”

Despite smoking weed growing up, Phelps is one of the fastest swimmers alive, if not the fastest. Contrast this with the fastest runner alive, Olympian Usain Bolt, who is a well-known supporter of the cannabis trade.

However, it’s probably not fair to associate cannabis with slowing down our physical bodies. In the professional world of sports, however, that’s a different story altogether.