Bellerive in St. Louis but was dogged by knee pain and overtaken by unheralded Kohki Idoki. On Sunday, there would be no folding. Buoyed by a hot putter, Perry teamed with Waldorf to w

Anyone who has ever experienced Singapores stifling humidity knows there are only two ways to seek refuge: stay inside air-conditioned buildings or take a dip in the pool.Coming from a Southeast Asian economic powerhouse and benefiting from one of the worlds best education systems, Singaporean kids cant be blamed if they go for the indoor option. Sports, including swimming, have sometimes been regarded as leisurely pursuits, not to be taken as seriously as mathematics and science.But all that could be about to change thanks to Joseph Schooling, a once shy and bespectacled kid who pulled off one of the most extraordinary upsets in Olympic swimming history by beating the seemingly invincible Michael Phelps in the Americans last individual race of his career.Think about that for a moment. Phelps, the GOAT, the man who has re-written every Olympic record, winning 23 gold medals and sinking everyone who has dared to challenge him. Unconquered in his first four races at Rio, and in his last individual event before hanging up his goggles. A man who hates to lose, competing in the 100 metres butterfly, the same race he had won at the three previous Olympics.What were the odds of anyone beating him? Let alone someone from Singapore, a tiny nation in Southeast Asia, that is smaller than some American cities, and had never won an Olympic gold medal, in any sport. Yet, in swimmings equivalent of David and Goliath, thats exactly what happened, but it was no fluke.He may come from a swimming minnow, but Schooling is no Eric the Eel, and he didnt just beat Phelps for the gold, he beat him every step of the way. Ten years younger than Phelps, the 21-year-old beat him in the heats, beat him again in the semis, beat him off the blocks in the final, beat him over the first 50m, beat him over the last 50m, then beat the Olympic record Phelps set in Beijing, with the Singaporean winning the gold in 50.39 seconds.Phelps was so angry with himself after losing the 200m butterfly final in London four years ago that he came out of retirement because it grated him so much and he wanted to atone for his rare defeat. Not this time. Relegated to a three-way tie for second with South Africas Chad le Clos, himself a world and Olympic champion, and veteran Hungarian Laszlo Cseh, he swam under his lane rope and to the centre of the pool to congratulate Schooling.No excuses. No regrets.I swam faster than I did four years to win (in London), Phelps said. But Joes tough. Obviously hes had a great year last year and had a really great last two years so hats off to him.The crowd at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium was shocked and confused, as much by seeing Phelps beaten as the triple dead-heat, the first ever in an Olympic final.Even Schooling was pinching himself to make sure he wasnt dreaming. I dont know what to believe, whether I actually did it or Im still preparing my race, he said.I need to chill by myself, let this moment sink in, realise what Ive done then Ill have a better understanding of what Ive accomplished.The celebrations in Singapore were less restrained.A country that desperately needed a sporting hero finally had one. One of the countrys most iconic statues is the Merlion, a mythical creature that has a lions head and the body of a fish, depicting Singapores spectacular transformation from a sleepy fishing village to one of the worlds biggest commercial hubs.Singaporean President Tony Tan flew to Rio to watch from the stands. The following morning, Schooling was already on board a jumbo jet flying back to his homeland to attend a hastily arranged victory celebration, the likes of which Singapore has never seen before.This is all just so crazy, Schooling said. But it shows that people from the smallest countries in the world can do extraordinary things.I hope this opens more doors for sports in our country and hopefully Ive set a precedent for a lot more young guys to come because Ive done something that no-one in our country has done before.Its been a tough road, Im not going to lie. For the first guy through the wall, its always bloody and I had to take that blow but Im thankful that I have the ability to accomplish this.Schoolings win came at a perfect time for Singapore, with the government investing and actively promoting the benefits of sport. The country has head-hunted some of the best sports coaches and administrators from around the world but know that producing Olympic champions is a long and frustrating process that starts when kids are young.Schooling was the trailblazer and there was a twist that the man he beat to win Singapores first gold medal was Phelps.Like a lot of his swimmers his generation, Schooling was inspired to greatness by the American and even met him when he was just 13, posing for a photograph that has been widely circulated on social media since the final.Phelps was in Singapore in 2008 attending a training camp before the Beijing Olympics. One of the practice facilities he used was the same pool Schooling trained so the young Singaporean approached him and asked for the photo.I wanted to be like him as a kid, Schooling said. So a lot of this is because of Michael.To achieve his goals, Schoolings parents made the bold decision to send their son to Florida to the famed Bolles School, under the guidance of master swim coach Sergio Lopez. He qualified for the 2012 London Olympics and took up a scholarship at the University of Texas the following year after Singapore agreed to defer his two years of mandatory national service to let him prepare for Rio.In 2014 he won the Asian title and last year he earned a bronze medal at the world championships before bursting into the global spotlight with his unfathomable win on the sports biggest stage, earning the ultimate accolade from his childhood hero.Im so proud of Joe, Phelps said. I wanted to change the sport of swimming. I wanted kids to dare to dream, and thats just what Joe did. Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Jason Spriggs Super Bowl Jersey . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. http://www.officialgreenbaypackerspro.com/Lane-taylor-packers-jersey/ . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Raven Greene Super Bowl Jersey . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Bart Starr Super Bowl Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit.PITTSBURGH -- Kenny Perry tried not to get ahead of himself Sunday on the 18th tee at the Senior Players Championship. He knew all too well how quickly fortunes can change on golfs biggest stages. There was the devastation at the PGA Championship in 1996. Disaster at the Masters in 2009. Disappointment at the Senior PGA last month. If there was a way to lose a major tournament, the affable 52-year-old Kentuckian seemed to have found it during his otherwise sterling career. "I thought I was snakebit," Perry said. "I got close so many times and I just seemed to mess up down the homestretch and not make it happen." This time, Perry didnt leave anything to chance. After tap-in birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 gave him a two-shot lead over Fred Couples, Perry made par on the No. 18 to close a spectacular weekend at Fox Chapel. His bogey-free 6-under 64 left him at 19-under 261, two shots ahead of Fred Couples and Duffy Waldorf. "My word was patience," Perry said. "I wasnt going to put any pressure on myself to win the golf tournament because I had so much heartache, so many losses. ... I was just thinking You know what, Im tired of worrying about that." Instead of feeling the pressure, Perry exerted it. He withstood an early charge from Waldorf, who birdied his first four holes, then kept firing at pins on the back nine while Couples putter failed him. The Hall of Famer leads the Champions Tour in putting average but could generate little magic Sunday. He drove the green on the short par-4 seventh only to three-putt for par. Couples later knocked it within 8 feet on the 15th only to send his birdie attempt streaking past the hole. He pulled the comebacker to the left and the bogey gave Perry his opening. Perry stuffed a pitching wedge within inches on the 16th then hit a 6-iron to within 2 feet on the par-3 17th. He tapped in the birdie to maintain his two-stroke lead then played smartly on the 18th. He left it just short of the green in two and watched as Waldorf and Couples both reached the long par-5. Their long eagle attempts never sniffed the cup, and when Perry rolled in his par putt, he thrust the ball in the air just before the sky opened for one last deluge on the water-logged course. Fox Chapel took on more than 4 inches of rain during the week, turning what was supposed to be a stiff test into a pitch and putt for long hitters like Couples and Perry. The conditions begged for players to attack the pins. Rather than simply protect par as he did during his near-misses in earlier majors, Perry knew he could go for it. It paid off with a $405,000 check and one very significant weight off his shoulders. "Im hoping the floodgates are goinng to open," Perry said.dddddddddddd"But I dont know, anytime you get into contention you get nervous, you get antsy. But today I had a peace about me ... if I can kind of draw upon this the next time I get into the heat of things hopefully Ill finish it off like I did today." Couples was hoping to polish off his third major victory on the Champions Tour, but after cruising through the first three rounds he couldnt match Perrys shotmaking on the final day. Couples now has four runner-up finishes this season, including each of the last two majors. "There were a couple shots you always should have back," Couples said. "The putt on (15) looked so easy and I just hammered it and I kind of flinched at it coming down the hill ... it was a little bit of a sour day the way I played after I teed off." Perry trailed by as many as eight shots earlier in the tournament before tracking down Couples over the weekend. He drew within two thanks to consecutive 63s in the second and third rounds and kept it going Sunday. It was sweet vindication for a player who has won more than $31 million during his 31-year career but is better known for those rounds that went all wrong. Perry led Mark Brooks by a shot at the 1996 PGA Tournament at Valhalla just outside Louisville, about two hours north of his hometown of Franklin, Ky., only to bogey the final hole to fall into a playoff with Mark Brooks. Brooks birdied the first extra hole for the victory. The agony grew exponentially 13 years later, when he stood on the 17th tee at Augusta with a two-shot lead. Consecutive bogeys dropped Perry into a three-way tie with Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell. He failed to get up and down on No. 10, the second playoff hole, and Cabrera made par to capture the green jacket. Perry had another close call at the Senior PGA in May. He led through three rounds at Bellerive in St. Louis but was dogged by knee pain and overtaken by unheralded Kohki Idoki. On Sunday, there would be no folding. Buoyed by a hot putter, Perry teamed with Waldorf to wear down Couples. Waldorf began the day four strokes behind Couples but wasted little time making up ground. He rattled off four straight birdies to start his round and shot 29 on the front nine. He cooled off after making the turn and finished with a 6-under 64, giving Perry enough room to pull away. "Its not surprising, (Perry) is obviously a great player," Waldorf said. "Winning these majors isnt easy and he did a great job this week." Michael Allen and first-round leader John Huston tied for fourth at 12 under. Colin Montgomerie, playing in his first Champions Tour event, closed with a 65 to tie for ninth. ' ' '