Pat Chan
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Patricia Chan in 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Patricia Chan Li-Yin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
12 April 1954 Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke, Freestyle, Medley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Chinese Swimming Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Patricia Chan Li-Yin (陈丽燕; born 12 April 1954), popularly known as Pat Chan and the "Golden Girl", is a retired swimmer from Singapore. Between 1965 and 1973 she won 39 gold medals at Southeast Asian Games, which was the best achievement for a Singaporean athlete in any sport until 2005. She competed in eight events at the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games and won 3 silver and 5 bronze medals.[1] At the 1970 Games she set a national record in the 200 m backstroke that stood for 23 years. At the 1972 Summer Olympics she was the flag bearer for Singapore and competed in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke events, but failed to reach the finals.[2] Chan was named the Best Sportswoman of Singapore for five consecutive years (1967–1971).[3] In 2002, she was inducted into the Singapore Sports Council Hall of Fame and ranked fourth among Singapore's 50 greatest athletes.[4]
Chan retired from competitions in 1973, aged 19, to become the first Singaporean female professional coach. She later turned to journalism, and currently runs her own media company, Visus Inq.[4]
Family
Patricia and her siblings were coached by their father, Chan Ah Kow, the Singaporean Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1971. Her brother Roy Chan Kum Wah, won a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in the 4×200 m relay.[1][5][6] Her two other brothers, Alex Chan Meng Wah and Bernard Chan Cheng Wah, were swimmers too; the latter competed at the 1966 Asian Games and 1964 Summer Olympics.[7][8] Her other brother Mark Chan is a composer,[9][10] while her elder sister, Victoria Chan-Palay is a prominent neuroscientist in the United States and Switzerland.[11] Her niece, Marina, is an international swimmer.[12]
References
- 1 2 "Asian Games Winners" (PDF). Singapore National Olympic Council. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ Pat Chan. sports-reference.com
- ↑ Patricia Chan. sportsmuseum.com.sg
- 1 2 Patricia Chan Li-Yin. infopedia.nl.sg
- ↑ "Swimmer Roy also shines in studies". The Straits Times. 1972-03-13. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ "Roy to unveil plaque at Ocean Building". The Straits Times. 1974-07-17. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ "Swim star weds". The Straits Times. 1978-08-04. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ "Host Nations and Representatives for the Asian Games". Sports Museum of Singapore. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ "Little night music with Pat Chan". Fridae Asia. 2004-03-22. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ "陈国华". China Central Television. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ↑ Govindram, Ranee (1975-06-15). "Ex-swim star gets rare varsity honour; Harvard award for Dr. Chan's daughter Vicky". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
- ↑ Toh Ting Wei (11 June 2014). "Marina keeps Chan name flying". The Straits Times. Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 15 September 2014 – via AsiaOne.