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Wong breaks down, thanks wife after winning S'pore's first gold medal
By Gary Lim
The New Paper
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011
The words didn't come easy.
Discus thrower James Wong had just won Singapore's first gold medal at the 2011 South-east Asia (SEA) Games, and his 10th overall in his 12th and final Games yesterday.
In the midst of dedicating his final triumph to his wife, Wong choked, broke down, then turned around to compose himself for about 15 seconds before summoning the strength to continue.
Jana Lauren, Wong said, has been his pillar of strength all these years.
Said Wong, 42: "I was training twice a day, six days a week. And we're not talking about a month or two, but for one to two years just for this competition.
"I wished I had the time to take her and the kids out more often, but I couldn't. Maybe I had my own selfish goal, but now, enough is enough."
It is precisely Wong's dedication to the sport which made Lauren, his wife of 11 years, a little sceptical.
Maybe the wife just knows best.
She told The New Paper: "I don't believe this is his last (SEA Games). He said it was his last after the previous one!
"But then again, I read in a report today that says he's retiring. I haven't heard him say it so straightforward before, so maybe it's for real this time."
Balancing a successful sports career and family life hasn't been easy for Wong. Neither was it easy for Lauren, 41.
There have been rough patches.
The preparation for this SEA Games was an especially trying period for Lauren.
She said: "Maybe this year I wasn't so supportive. I scolded him for training so often.
"Now, he thanks me. Sometimes it's the little things we do that let us see through the sacrifices that we make.
"Maybe it's time he retires from competitive sports to spend more time with us.
"It has been difficult for him too. He loves his sport so much, so it's normal that he spends more time on it."
Lauren perhaps knows the demands of a national athlete better than most, because she was once Germany's No. 4 discus thrower.
She first met Wong at a training camp in Berlin, her hometown.
They fell in love, got married and now have two kids - Jessica, 10, and Jordan, 8.
But life after James' retirement may have to take some getting used to.
Lauren, who is a discus coach at Catholic High School, said: "I have to wait for him to come back, so that we can sit down and discuss our plans for the future.
"I have no idea what's on his mind at the moment."
For Wong, this is the beginning of a new chapter of his life. One that involves more time with his family.
He said: "I promise that this is my last competition."
This article was first published in The New Paper.
By Gary Lim
The New Paper
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011
The words didn't come easy.
Discus thrower James Wong had just won Singapore's first gold medal at the 2011 South-east Asia (SEA) Games, and his 10th overall in his 12th and final Games yesterday.
In the midst of dedicating his final triumph to his wife, Wong choked, broke down, then turned around to compose himself for about 15 seconds before summoning the strength to continue.
Jana Lauren, Wong said, has been his pillar of strength all these years.
Said Wong, 42: "I was training twice a day, six days a week. And we're not talking about a month or two, but for one to two years just for this competition.
"I wished I had the time to take her and the kids out more often, but I couldn't. Maybe I had my own selfish goal, but now, enough is enough."
It is precisely Wong's dedication to the sport which made Lauren, his wife of 11 years, a little sceptical.
Maybe the wife just knows best.
She told The New Paper: "I don't believe this is his last (SEA Games). He said it was his last after the previous one!
"But then again, I read in a report today that says he's retiring. I haven't heard him say it so straightforward before, so maybe it's for real this time."
Balancing a successful sports career and family life hasn't been easy for Wong. Neither was it easy for Lauren, 41.
There have been rough patches.
The preparation for this SEA Games was an especially trying period for Lauren.
She said: "Maybe this year I wasn't so supportive. I scolded him for training so often.
"Now, he thanks me. Sometimes it's the little things we do that let us see through the sacrifices that we make.
"Maybe it's time he retires from competitive sports to spend more time with us.
"It has been difficult for him too. He loves his sport so much, so it's normal that he spends more time on it."
Lauren perhaps knows the demands of a national athlete better than most, because she was once Germany's No. 4 discus thrower.
She first met Wong at a training camp in Berlin, her hometown.
They fell in love, got married and now have two kids - Jessica, 10, and Jordan, 8.
But life after James' retirement may have to take some getting used to.
Lauren, who is a discus coach at Catholic High School, said: "I have to wait for him to come back, so that we can sit down and discuss our plans for the future.
"I have no idea what's on his mind at the moment."
For Wong, this is the beginning of a new chapter of his life. One that involves more time with his family.
He said: "I promise that this is my last competition."
This article was first published in The New Paper.
