Singapore Athletes are HOT, too!

Finally, the Games are heating up for Singapore - she has just clinched her first Olympic medal, with paddler Feng Tianwei's spectacular win of 4-0 against Japan's higher-ranking Kasumi Ishikawa, a great National Day present for Singapore!

With such heart-stopping action and hot news in town, perhaps it's time to look at athletes with cool faces and hot bods too, with a local angle.

Let's first look at our biggest winner Feng Tianwei.

With her ferocious forehands and angled drives, this athlete is the epitome of Singapore's table tennis paddlers. Looks too - androgynous, aggressive and astute - Feng Tianwei is coach Jing Junhong and Li Jiawei all rolled into one. Regardless of nationality or country of origin, she has done Singapore proud. And in her own fashion and style: perhaps the lucky red charm on her wrist and a change of hairstyle - from the spiky flamboyance of previous years to yesterday's boyish cut - ensured that Lady Luck was on her side.

Talking about ball games, one badminton shuttler worth taking note of is Derek Wong, whose father was a former national player. This Takeshi-Kaneshiro lookalike bagged bronzes for men's singles and team at the last Southeast Asian (SEA) games. Unfortunately, this 23-year-old is said to be in a sizzling romance with fellow shuttler Vanessa Neo, so single ladies out there, fix your sights on the one below!

Next on the list is Singapore swimmer Joseph Schooling. At a young age of seventeen, he has not only bagged several medals at the last SEA Games, but also set the Southeast Asian record for the 200-metre and 50-metre fly. With his megawatt smile that could easily be featured on a toothpaste advert and perfect six-pack, Joseph Schooling is taking Singapore by storm. Never mind if he loses focus and underperforms due to a wardrobe malfunction this Olympics, Singapore will be rooting for him at the next sporting event, all the same.

And did you know how Singapore's first female weightlifter, Helena Wong, decided to be what she is today? She first stepped on a weightlifting platform while working out at her university gym in England. She caught the eye of the Head Coach of England's equivalent of Singapore Sports Council, the latter commenting that her physique was ideal for weightlifting. Within a year of picking up the sport, she has represented Singapore in the Commonwealth Games two years ago. Who knows, she might snag the next medal. After all, Singapore's first Olympic medallist also emerged from the weightlifting arena - Tan Howe Liang.

And finally, a Singapore athlete who dared to dream - Lim Heem Wei. She is the only Singaporean to have qualified for the Olympics 2012's women's artistic gymnastics. This 22-year-old gymnast has made it this far, juggling her studies, training and personal life. When asked what advice she would dispense to Singapore's aspiring sports athletes, she said: "Dare to dream. Take calculated risks and have a clear idea of where you want to head towards. Dedicate, commit and persevere. You never know what might come out of that journey. Whether or not everything works out in the end, there will be takeaways you can learn from the journey and most importantly, you know you have given yourself a chance to chase that dream." A true-blue sportswoman indeed.