new article with related links cna main to ls

And while the goal was the same as it was in 2016, she was now a different athlete.

"I see things in a different perspective," said Aisyah, who turned 36 on Saturday (Apr 20).

"I don't feel old, I feel more experienced, I feel like a big sister to some of the athletes."

Competing in the women’s 2,000m lightweight single sculls at the Asian and Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea, on Sunday, the Singaporean had to finish among the top five to book her spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

But Aisyah finished sixth out of six competitors, and there were tears after the race, she told CNA.

"I didn't know about this qualification rule, so my thought when I went back to land was that I didn't qualify," she recalled. 

"It wasn't my best performance, it was actually one of my worst performances. I was on the pontoon, very upset and crying to my coach, apologising to him."

Eight years ago in Chungju, Aisyah missed out on making the A final at the qualifier, but went on to win the B final and qualify for Rio.

"In 2016, that was one of the best races I've ever done, and this was totally at the other extreme end," she said.

What the Singaporean did not realise was that current qualification rules bumped her Japanese competitor who finished second in the event, out of qualification contention.

This was because Japan had also won the men's and women's double sculls events at the continental qualifier, automatically taking up the country's Olympic spots.

"I know the Japanese girl and it's hard for me to accept it as an athlete. I totally feel her," said Aisyah.

"But I also think I need to learn to embrace the fact that I chose to do this. I got to the A final and this is how the game is being played."

"IT'S OKAY BEING 36"

Aisyah has a number of SEA Games medals to her name, and made headlines in 2013, after winning Singapore's first individual rowing gold.

She then turned her sights to the Rio Olympics.

But her road to Rio was by no means easy, as she had to drain her savings and took to crowdfunding to raise money for her training and living expenses in Sydney to fund her Olympic dream.

She eventually raised S$14,000 (US$10,300), and her finances improved after she was awarded the SpexScholarship, which provides athletes with stipends and other support to help them achieve success at Asian, world and Olympic levels.

Aisyah would eventually become the first Singaporean rower to qualify for the Olympics and finished 23rd at the Rio Games.

After retiring in 2017, it was late last year that she began to consider making a comeback.