Schooling, a swimmer, admitted Tuesday to using the drug in May during a time when he was competing in the Southeast Asian Games, where he won two gold and one bronze medals.
“I made a mistake and I am responsible for what I did. I have shown poor judgment and I am sorry,” Schooling, 27, said in a personal statement seen on CNN.
“I’m sorry my actions have hurt everyone around me, especially my family and the young fans who look up to me,” he added. “I will not disappoint you again.”
It’s unclear what prompted Schooling’s admission, who was competing while on leave from national service in the Singapore military. The extent of the punishment he faces is also unclear, although the Singapore government has announced that he will no longer be on leave from military service to train or compete.
Schooling’s military service, which began in January, is expected to last until 2024, meaning he likely won’t be able to compete in the World Swimming Championships, Asian Games or Southeast Asian Games next year.
Another censure is possible as sports governing bodies Sport Singapore and the Singapore Swimming Association say they will “review the facts of the case and determine appropriate steps”.
The Southeast Asian Games did not immediately respond to a question about whether Schooling’s results held up in May.
Singapore’s defense ministry said Tuesday it had issued a formal warning letter to Schooling, outlining the army’s “strict zero-tolerance policy on drug abuse.”
“Those who have suspected or confessed to substance abuse will be put on supervised urine testing systems as part of the treatment and rehabilitation process,” the ministry said. “Any (army) personnel who test positive during this regime will be charged and sentenced accordingly.”
But the Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore’s main drug law enforcement agency, said on Tuesday that Schooling’s urine tests for controlled drugs were “negative”.
In his Tuesday statement, Schooling called his actions a “moment of weakness” and said he was going through “a very rough time in life.”
His 73-year-old father, Colin Schooling, died last November after a battle with cancer, and Schooling has previously spoken out about the pressures of being in the public spotlight.
He first rose to fame as a 22-year-old at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, when he defeated his childhood hero, US swimming legend Michael Phelps, in the 100m butterfly to become his country’s first Olympic gold medalist. However, he faced heavy criticism at home after failing to defend his title in Tokyo last year.