SINGAPORE – In the lead-up to the B Division boys’ discus final at the Home Of Athletics on April 3, Raffles Institution’s (RI) Anson Loh was widely expected to beat the meet record after coming within 3cm of surpassing it 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 mark 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... 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 the 50.28m 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 the 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.”

Setting the record also meant he met the qualifying mark for both the Asean Schools Games (ASG) and SEA Youth Championships.

These were two competitions he was forced to miss last season, after the ASG was postponed and he was ruled ineligible for the latter as he was underage.

While that did not directly affect his preparations, they were highlights he was looking forward to as he values overseas competitions. 

He has not set any targets for this season yet, but revealed that winning both is within reach. 

The SEA Games remain a long-term goal and his coach Choo Chee Kiong said: “I’m very confident (he and his brother Aloysius) can get some SEA Games medals for Singapore, if Singapore Athletics can step in strongly to support them.”