Sprinter Lee eyes LA 2028 after breakthrough

In 2023, Mikkel Lee's swimming career looked set to soar after he posted a blistering 47.25sec anchor leg in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay at the Asian Games in 2023.

- David Lee

In 2023, Mikkel Lee's swimming career looked set to soar after he posted a blistering 47.25sec anchor leg in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay at the Asian Games in 2023. The time was more than a second faster than Joseph Schooling's national record of 48.27, though it did not count as a new mark.

His confidence, however, took a hit after he missed the cut for the 2024 Paris Olympics 50m and 100m freestyle. And when he did not meet the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) qualifying mark for his pet event, the 50m butterfly, at the Berlin Swim Open in April, he felt lost.

The 22-year-old, who is studying finance at Indiana University, told The Straits Times: "I was struggling in Berlin. I had three events, the 100m free, 50 fly and 50 free, and I was aiming to qualify on the 50 fly, but I didn't have a great race as I had a terrible breakout that cost me quite a bit of time.

"I was alone in a foreign country, I had the 50 free left, and I was losing my head. I felt the 50 fly was my one shot to make the world championships and I blew it."