Singapore’s top triathlete proves himself once again

By Gloria Lee

In the wake of his record‐breaking performance at the recent Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, national triathlete Mok Ying Ren was the crowd favourite to win this year’s Singapore Biathlon.

On Saturday, he did not disappoint as he breasted the tape four minutes ahead of closest rival Lim Zhi Ming to defend his title in the Men’s Open category.

With a finishing time of 55 minutes 38 seconds, Mok not only broke his previous year’s race record by a half minute, but also achieved a personal best in the 10‐kilometer run segment. His timings for the 1.5‐kilometre swim and the 10‐kilometre run were 21:45 and 33:54 respectively.

The win was rendered all the more exceptional by the fact that an ankle injury sustained two months earlier had forced Mok to adopt an alternative training plan that did not include his usual 100‐kilometre weekly run mileage.

“Mok Ying Ren was in top form. Those who didn’t know about his injury wouldn’t have been able to tell from his performance, “ said 21-year-old Benjamin Yap, a recreational biathlete who also competed in the Singapore Biathlon.

Jointly organized by SAFRA and the Republic of Singapore Navy, the annual Singapore Biathlon is widely regarded as the largest and most competitive event of its type in Southeast Asia.

Mok first entered the local sporting limelight when he won the triathlon gold at the 2007 SEA Games. He turned to the 5,000‐metre athletics event when his core sport was excluded from the 2009 SEA Games, but unfortunately missed the cut.

A third-year undergraduate from the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, the aspiring doctor believes that his course of study aids his training because it allows him to be more aware of the way his body works.

“Those who have seen Ying Ren train are all in awe of his discipline and ability to balance both studies and training,” said 25-year-old Samson Han, who stays in the same hall of residence as Mok.

When asked for his formula for success, the 21-year-old athlete said, “Be patient in whatever sport you do. Do not find short cuts.”

This philosophy is reflected in his rigorous training regime. On a typical day, he wakes up at 6 a.m. for a morning run, attends school for seven hours from 8 a.m., before resuming training at 5 p.m.

“My goal is to be the fastest that I can be,” said Mok, who has been the National University of Singapore’s “Sportsman of the Year” for the last two years.