5 Facts To Know About Welson Sim, The Malaysian Swimmer Who Everyone Is Talking About
Simping for Sim.
By Tamara Jayne — 26 Jul 2021, 01:44 PM
Hailing from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysian swimmer Welson Sim Wee Sheng has gained quite a bit of attention from the recent Olympic Games in Japan
Sim came in sixth and seventh place respectively after competing in the 400m and 200m men's freestyle categories.
However, since then, the professional swimmer has been trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo for his 'handsome' features.
Good looks aside, the 24-year-old has accumulated numerous achievements and titles over the years.
Here are five things to know about Welson Sim:
1. He first got into swimming to fight asthmatic problems
At 10 years old, Sim started swimming as a hobby after someone suggested to his mum that it will help strengthen his lungs. His competitive nature and love for being in the water led him to compete in the President's Cup in Sarawak a year later and he made it to the Sarawak state swimming team.
In an interview with Buro 24/7, Sim shares that by the time he was 12, he knew swimming was a sport that he wanted to do professionally.
Aside from battling asthma, which sent him to hospital on several occasions, in a previous article by Malay Mail, Sim shares that he was often called 'ikan bilis' when he was younger.
2. Although Sim shares that he didn't come from a well-to-do family, he is grateful these competitions have given him the chance to travel and he owes his success to his mum
"When I had training sessions at 5.30am, mum would send me to the pool and she will wait for me to finish — two hours later. She is my everything," he says, according to Malay Mail.
"Just because of swimming, I have traveled to more than 20 countries, met new friends with different cultures; and I don’t plan to stop that anytime soon. My family is also the main reason behind all of these; they support me no matter what," he tells Swimming World.
3. Along with holding several medals and titles under his belt, Sim was previously the first Malaysian swimmer to qualify for two Olympic events under the 'A' category
Over the past few years, he has also bagged three gold and several silver medals at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) and Commonwealth Youth Games.
4. Aside from travelling, he appears to like riding motorbikes
His social media shows him in several photos posing with motorcycles.
In October last year, Sim got into a motorbike accident that injured his wrist, requiring surgery.
According to New Straits Times, his coach Chris Martin said that Sim had two pins inserted into his left arm and had struggled with pain at times during practice.
He added that despite that, Sim pushed through and did his best to prepare for the competition.
5. Outside of his athletic career, Sim also enjoys watching Chinese dramas
In an interview with Buro 24/7, he discloses some things that not many may know about him. The first being that he considers himself a foodie but dislikes tomato sauce. And he enjoys watching Chinese dramas.
