Louis' mission in Olympic debut: Better 100m mark

When Benber Yu first started coaching Singapore sprinter Marc Louis over a decade ago, the latter was never a favourite in races nor was his talent immediately apparent.

- Kimberly Kwek

But what Louis has is an eagerness to work hard in pursuit of his goals, no matter how big they are.

Starting his track career as a hurdler, he showed signs of potential when he won a historic gold for Singapore at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships in the 400m hurdles.

He has also won a silver medal and three bronzes over two editions of the SEA Games and broken a longstanding 100m national mark.

Now, the 21-year-old is set to make his Olympic debut at the July 26-Aug 11 Paris Games after the Singapore National Olympic Council announced on July 11 that his universality spot was confirmed by World Athletics (WA).

With Louis' inclusion, Singapore will be represented by 23 athletes across 11 sports in Paris.

Noting that securing Louis' Olympic ticket was a team effort, Yu, 43, said: "He's had to work hard to prove to other people that he can do it. Team Cicada (his club) backed him up some parents, his teammates, his parents, we've helped each other.