While it is no longer okay to openly talk about women this way, all gloves are off when it comes to Singapore's only Olympic Gold medallist Joseph Schooling who is put under the spotlight by the national media because of his chonky body at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.

Despite winning the men's 100m butterfly -- his pet event -- on Friday, Dec. 6, Schooling, 24, had to deal with the extra attention directed at his physique that came with the win.

Both The Straits Times and CNA ran pieces on Sunday, Dec. 8, quoting national training centre head coach Gary Tan, who was asked by a reporter about Schooling's heftier frame during a media scrum on Dec. 7

"Kudos to him, even at this size, he did a great job," Tan joked.

"That's the fight that we've been missing for a while."

Schooling, who is a 1.84m mesomorph, weighed a visibly leaner 74kg during the 2016 Rio Olympics when he won the gold medal.

Tan also said that Schooling needed to make adjustments to up his fitness level.

Tan said: "There is some recognition of things that he needs to change in the lifestyle part of it, especially getting a bit more trim and getting him to work towards getting fitter as well."

"The team's in place to get him there and the first thing was to get him to qualify for the Olympics."

"We are seven months out of the Olympics, we've got time to get him trim and fit and I know he's ready to make those big changes."

Regardless of his weight now, Schooling is definitely at the 99.99th percentile for swimming.

Not reported in the media is the psychology of competing at the highest level.

With seven months to go to the Olympics, Schooling could be timing the moment he peaks to coincide with the next biggest competition of his life.

The SEA Games is not yet the final push.

Qualifies for 2020 Olympic

Schooling's place in the next Olympics has been sealed.

Schooling qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Games on Friday after clocking 51.84sec to claim his fourth consecutive 100m fly title.

He will compete in the 100m freestyle on Sunday and the men's 4x100m medley relay on Monday.

Schooling is also the defending champion in the event and SEA Games record holder with his timing of 51.38 set at the 2017 SEA Games.

He holds the current Olympic fly record with a time of 50.39.

However, Schooling was earlier in the competition beaten by fellow Singaporean swimmer Teong Tzen Wei in the 50m butterfly and took home the silver.

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