by Jonathan Wong

Her hair is still cropped close and spiky. Her smile remains familiarly broad. And she continues to exude a bubbly confidence.

Outwardly, Tao Li has not changed. She is sociable, happy-go-lucky and outgoing.

But, beneath that front, lies a hardened swimmer, driven by a desire for success.

'She focuses better now on what she needs to do,' says Peter Churchill, Tao Li's coach at the Singapore Sports School. 'She has that ability to switch everything else off and concentrate on her goal.'

It was this new-found focus that helped the 18-year-old bag three gold medals and smash a World Cup record recently in the four legs of the Fina/Arena Swimming World Cup.

Her journey from China to Singapore might appear smooth. But it was paved with obstacles, ranging from language to loneliness.

Leaving her friends and family behind in Wuhan was a hard decision, too.

Asked about her memories of her arrival here five years ago, Tao Li recalls: 'I hated it. I had problems with the language.

'Also, my mother wasn't earning very much, and it was a struggle for her to support both of us.

'My studies were fine, but I'm a sports person. And supporting my swimming was very hard for her. When you don't have money, life is just so difficult.'

Initially, Tao Li could hardly speak any English, which was not surprising as she had come here to study the language, among other things. Medals and Asian swimming records were far from her thoughts.

Her poor English meant she was placed in a Primary 5 class in Queenstown Primary School, where her classmates were three years younger.

But she worked hard at it, attending extra language lessons.

Today, she converses in English during interviews. Signs of her integration into local culture can be overheard in snatches, as 'lahs' and 'lehs' sprinkle her sentences.

It is this steely determination, coupled with her gregarious nature, that draws people to Tao Li.

As Churchill puts it: 'She's never been a shy girl. Always been outgoing and a real character. The girl's got more shop-front than Tangs!'

Has this changed since her stirring performances at the Beijing Olympics in August?

'No, I'm the same,' insists the affable swimmer. 'People still come up to me to say 'hi' and to congratulate me or to take photos.'

In Beijing, she became the first Singaporean swimmer to compete in an Olympic final, and rewrote the Asian record in the 100m butterfly with a time of 57.54sec.

Huge expectations now weigh on her shoulders.

She is expected to produce a medal at the next Olympics in London.

She hopes the Singapore Swimming Association will support her better.

'There was no-one from the association to receive us at the airport on our return from the last leg in Berlin compared to the bowlers,' she says.

She was referring to the Republic's bowlers, who were given a warm welcome by the Singapore Bowling Federation and fans when they returned successfully from the World Cup in Mexico last week.

'I competed in a world event, and it's my world record there,' she said. 'There were three other swimmers, and they put all their effort in as well. Where's the support for them?'

Tao Li might be a bit hurt. But she is thankful to her adopted country for giving her the opportunities to excel at the Asian and world levels.

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