Pat_Chan

Pat Chan

Pat Chan

Singaporean swimmer (born 1954)

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]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chan.
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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. [1]
    "Asian Games Winners" (PDF). Singapore National Olympic Council. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  2. [2]
    Pat Chan. sports-reference.com
  3. [3]
    Patricia Chan Archived 22 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine. sportsmuseum.com.sg
  4. [4]
    "Patricia Chan Li Yin | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  5. [5]
    "Swimmer Roy also shines in studies". The Straits Times. 13 March 1972. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  6. [6]
    "Roy to unveil plaque at Ocean Building". The Straits Times. 17 July 1974. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  7. [7]
    "Swim star weds". The Straits Times. 4 August 1978. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  8. [8]
    "Host Nations and Representatives for the Asian Games". Sports Museum of Singapore. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  9. [9]
    "Little night music with Pat Chan". Fridae Asia. 22 March 2004. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  10. [10]
    "陈国华". China Central Television. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  11. [11]
    Govindram, Ranee (15 June 1975). "Ex-swim star gets rare varsity honour; Harvard award for Dr. Chan's daughter Vicky". The Straits Times. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  12. [12]
    Toh Ting Wei (11 June 2014). "Marina keeps Chan name flying". The Straits Times. Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 15 September 2014 – via AsiaOne.
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