Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the country on Saturday by winning the 100m butterfly event at Rio Olympics 2016.
Schooling completed the race in 50.39s, which was only one second ahead of the joint-silver finish of 51.14s shared by American great Michael Phelps, South Africa's Chad le Clos and Hungarian Laszlo Cseh.
The 21-year-old Singaporean's time broke Phelp's Olympic Games record of 50.58s, at Beijing 2008.
After the race, Schooling said: "It feels great, it kinds of feels surreal right now, it's crazy."
"I really can't describe how this moment feels. All the adrenaline is running through my veins right now. It's a dream come true. I'm really honoured and privileged to swim alongside some of these great names, people who changed the face of our sport," he told Channel NewsAsia.
He added: "I can't really tell you how grateful I am to have this chance to swim in an Olympic final and to represent our country. I'm just ecstatic. I need it to sink in."
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan Keng Yam congratulated the Singapore swim sensation for creating a history and winning the nation's first Olympic gold medal.
Prime Minister Lee wrote on his Facebook: "My heartiest congratulations to Joseph Isaac Schooling for his historic gold medal win and Olympic record of 50.39 seconds for the 100m butterfly! This is Singapore's first Olympic gold medal ever, and also our first medal for #Rio2016."
"It is an incredible feat, to compete among the world's best, stay focused, and emerge victorious," Lee added.
He also told Schooling that "you made us very proud today".
President Tan also posted on Facebook saying: "Witnessed history being created today! Congratulations to Joseph Schooling, for bagging the Gold medal in the Olympic Men 100m Butterfly in 50.39s and breaking the Olympics record in the process!"
