logo

‘Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions

Straits Times16-07-2025
SINGAPORE – The last time Moesha Johnson was in the Republic for the Singapore leg of the Swimming World Cup in late 2024, she took a leisurely dip in the waters off Sentosa.
While she enjoyed her swim then, the hot weather highlighted a key element she needed to consider in preparation for the open water swimming competition at the ongoing World Aquatics Championships (WCH).
As part of a staging camp in Darwin ahead of the world meet, the Australian did training sessions in a Learn-to-Swim pool with water temperatures of 30 deg C to acclimatise.
That training proved pivotal as Johnson emerged victorious in the gruelling women's 10km race on July 16, when the open water swimming events were held in punishing conditions after a one-day delay.
The 27-year-old clinched her first individual world title in 2hr 7min 51.30sec, finishing ahead of Italy's Ginevra Taddeucci (2:07:55.70) and Monaco's Lisa Pou (2:07:57.50).
'For everyone in the women's race, this was the most challenging conditions and preparations we've faced,' said the Paris Olympic silver medallist, who also has a world championships bronze and gold in the mixed 4x1,500m.
'It wasn't just the hot water – we had two postponements and on top of that we had the hot water, currents and waves, so today we really put on a display for our sport and I hope people can really appreciate that.'
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA
Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore
Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence
Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A
Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy
Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets
Singapore Instead of overcomplicating COE system, Govt has ensured affordable transport for all: SM Lee to Jamus Lim
Singapore Baby died after mum took abortion pills and gave birth in toilet; coroner records an open verdict
The brutal conditions, with water temperature reaching 30.4 deg C for the men's event and 30.8 deg C for the women's – just below the 31 deg C limit set by regulations – tested the limits of many of the swimmers, some of whom were unable to finish their race.
Water temperatures of 30.4 deg C and 30.8 deg C – just below the 31 deg C limit set by regulations – were recorded in the men's and women's races respectively.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Many swimmers resorted to different methods to cope with the heat, with some even applying ice packs to their bodies before the start.
Even so, 11 out of the 81 men's field did not finish (DNF), including Singapore's Ritchie Oh, who succumbed to dehydration, while five were over the time limit (OTL).
This was in stark contrast to the 2024 championships in Doha, where there was just one DNF and one OTL. In 2023 in Fukuoka, there were two DNFs.
In the women's event, 14 of the 69 entrants failed to finish, with one swimmer over the time limit. In comparison, Doha saw three DNFs and one OTL, while Fukuoka had no DNFs and four OTLs.
Men's champion Florian Wellbrock, who reclaimed the 10km crown he last won in 2023 and 2019, said: 'It felt like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water. So I'm thankful that I could win here.'
The Tokyo Olympic champion touched home in 1:59:55.5, edging out Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri (1:59:59.2) and Australia's Kyle Lee (2:00:10.3).
Heat training had been crucial for him too as he did cycling in 40 deg C conditions.
Florian Wellbrock of Germany finishes in first place during the men's open water 10km final held on Sentosa on July 16, 2025.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
The delay due to concerns over water quality also partly contributed to the hot condition.
The women's event was initially scheduled to start in the morning of July 15, but was postponed to the next day after test revealed that Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria levels exceeded World Aquatics thresholds.
The men's race was slated for 10.15am and the women's event three hours later on July 16, but was rescheduled again to 1pm and 4pm respectively as test results were still unsatisfactory.
Reigning Olympic champion Kristof Rasovszky, who finished 13th, described it as one of the hardest races he had ever experienced.
The two-time world title-holder: 'It was very tough with the conditions – we didn't know in the morning when we wake up, that if it's going to be a race or not in the morning.
'And then we had to wait for it till the later morning, if we're going to race in the afternoon, so it's not an easy thing and not very good for preparation but this is how it works in the open water.
'The water is really warm, so it made it really tough and of course, it was a little wavy so it's altogether a really challenging experience for everyone, so you can't really say that was the problem because everyone had to swim in the same condition.'
Singapore's Chantal Liew was the top South-east Asian in the women's 10km final.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Singapore's Oh was on his fifth lap when he was brought out of the water and attended to by on-site medical personnel.
A spokesman from Singapore Aquatics said: 'He experienced dehydration, and is currently in stable condition. We're grateful for the care he's receiving and at this point, the priority is ensuring that he gets the rest he needs.
'We're in close contact with his family and remain fully prepared to offer any support they may need during this time.'
His teammate Artyom Lukasevits finished as the top South-east Asian swimmer in the men's event, placing 43rd in 2:11:41.4.
In the women's event, Singapore's Chantal Liew finished 40th in 2:22:07.9 to be the top South-east Asian in the women's field, while compatriot Kate Ona was 45th in 2:29:18.0.
Liew said: 'That was a brutal race, it took everything I had and more. Overall, I'm proud of how I swam today.
'I was sitting in that second pack for most of it and to hang on for the first five rounds, I'm pretty happy with that. Last round was tough when everyone started moving but I left everything out there on the course.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

World Aquatics Championships: Spain beats Hungary 15–13 in men's water polo final
World Aquatics Championships: Spain beats Hungary 15–13 in men's water polo final

CNA

timean hour ago

  • CNA

World Aquatics Championships: Spain beats Hungary 15–13 in men's water polo final

World Aquatics Championships: Spain beats Hungary 15–13 in men's water polo final By CNA/Ili Mansor Team Spain jumping into the pool before the match started on Jul 24. Hungarian player Vince Pal Vigvári in action. Spanish goalkeeper Unai Aguirre (back) anticipates a shot from a Hungarian player. Team Hungary supporters cheering for the players. Team Spain celebrating after winning the gold medal. Next Story

40 years after falling in love at the SEA Games, this Singaporean couple will compete in the pool again
40 years after falling in love at the SEA Games, this Singaporean couple will compete in the pool again

CNA

time2 hours ago

  • CNA

40 years after falling in love at the SEA Games, this Singaporean couple will compete in the pool again

One happy union, four children and four decades later, the pair – now both 57 – will compete at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore. The competition includes swimming, water polo, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo events, and takes place from Jul 26 to Aug 22. This is in tandem with the ongoing World Aquatics Championships. The Masters Championships features athletes aged 25 and above, with age groups for individual events in five-year bands, starting from 25-29. Entry times to qualify for swim events are based on one's age band. STARTING YOUNG The pair's journey to representing Singapore took different tangents. After a near-drowning incident when she was about five, Ms Cheong's father made her pick up swimming. Four years later, she represented Singapore in her first international meet, an ASEAN age-group competition. Mr Koh on the other hand only got into water polo when in Secondary One, at about 13 years old. He was not a good swimmer at the time, but teammates at the Queenstown Water Polo club helped him catch up. Meanwhile Ms Cheong was around that age when she went to her first major competition, facing the likes of Russia, Japan and Australia at a 1981 invitational in China. With her swim career continuing to blossom, she competed at the Asian Games the next year, and had the 1984 Olympics in her sights. But sickness struck: Ice cream from a street vendor in India left her battling hepatitis for a year and a half. "I couldn't swim at that point of time because it was too dangerous. And then I picked up after that, and got ready for the '85 SEA Games." "CUTEST IN THE TEAM" Prior to the 1985 Games in Bangkok, Mr Koh knew of Ms Cheong – "she was like the cutest in the team" – though they'd never spoken. And she was familiar with his teammates, through Asian Games and centralised training at Toa Payoh, but had no clue to who he was. It was Mr Koh's seniors who brought them together during the Games. He recalled the swimmers racing in their heats in the morning, before water polo matches took place in the afternoon. Then in the evenings, the water polo team would cheer the swim team on from the stands. They started dating almost immediately after the Games. Ms Cheong also called time on her career then. "I was in my first year of junior college, there was no way I could do JC and A-levels and that, so I had already decided it would be my last," she said. "It was really difficult for me. After getting sick ... it was like from ground zero you've got to go back, it's super (difficult)." Mr Koh went on to compete at the 1986 Asian Games. He was part of the team which clinched bronze - the last time Singapore's water polo team brought home an Asian medal - and was crowned Sports Boy of the Year. As an undergraduate, he represented Sydney University in Australia's National Water Polo Championships and won a Blue Award for outstanding sporting achievements. His last Asian Games was in 1994, the same year he married Ms Cheong. EXCITEMENT AND TREPIDATION After taking a break from sport for about a decade, Mr Koh participated in the 2008 World Aquatics Masters Championships in Perth. He was subsequently elected as assistant secretary-general for water polo on the volunteer executive committee of the Singapore Swimming Association (now Singapore Aquatics), from 2008 to 2010. "I did one term, and then I saw a lot of gaps in the club scene in Singapore," he recalled. And so Mr Koh took on the role of running his alma mater, Queenstown Water Polo club, for eight years. "I actually played competitively for Queenstown in the local scene until in my 50s," he added. Ms Cheong also served as vice-president of swimming with the Singapore Swimming Association for a short period of time. But her relationship with her sport was slightly more complicated. "It's more of a love-hate thing. I was burnt out already by the time I quit the sport, I really didn't want to touch the water so much, I didn't train by myself a lot. If I do, I'd just go and do a few laps," she said. "But I would say that over the recent years, I have come to terms with my past. That 'hate' part is gone, I'm much more comfortable going back." When the opportunity to take part in the Masters Championships in Singapore this year came up, the husband-and-wife duo decided to take the plunge. "He was the instigator. He was the one talking to me about it," said Ms Cheong. "How often does Singapore host this?" added Mr Koh. "I was pretty excited." But it is also not without a sense of trepidation. "A bit fearful in the sense that water polo is a fitness game, and we're all so out of shape. Getting the team together was a bit intimidating," said Mr Koh. "But other than that, we always try to remind ourselves that we train a bit differently. Now, we don't do so much sprints because we're all old." Ms Cheong will compete in two relays - the 4x50m freestyle and the 4x50m medley - with some former teammates. "Three of us are old teammates ... We trained together, we were from the same club before. So it's more of for old times' sake," she said. More than competing, the pair are looking forward to simply doing sport together again. "It's nice to do things together. Even though we are in different venues, with different timings (for our events)," said Mr Koh.

Mercedes aiming to keep George Russell and Kimi Antonelli next season
Mercedes aiming to keep George Russell and Kimi Antonelli next season

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Mercedes aiming to keep George Russell and Kimi Antonelli next season

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and George Russell are expected to keep their seats for next season. – George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are Mercedes' first choice for next season, team boss Toto Wolff said in comments appearing to rule out an immediate move for Red Bull's four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen. The 27-year-old is third overall at the midpoint of the 24-round campaign, 69 points behind McLaren's overall leader Oscar Piastri and 61 adrift of the Australian's British teammate Lando Norris. Verstappen's dream of a fifth successive title is gradually disappearing and, with a new engine era starting in 2026 and the Mercedes power unit expected to be the pick of the field, there has been talk of the Dutch driver switching teams. That speculation was put in even sharper focus after Red Bull sacked long-serving team boss Christian Horner on July 9, with Laurent Mekies in charge at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. Russell's contract expires at the end of the season, although he is also managed by Mercedes, while 18-year-old rookie Antonelli joined only at the start of the 2025 season and is a big talent for the future. 'The direction of travel is that we want to continue with George and Kimi. That is the first priority,' Wolff told Austria's ORF television on July 23. 'You can't look past someone like Max and the plans he has for the future. We did that, but I don't think there will be any big surprises.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B ORF said that while Verstappen had performance clauses, he would have needed to be outside the top three after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 6 to trigger his contract release. He is 18 points ahead of fourth-placed Russell. Social media lit up earlier in July after Wolff and Verstappen were reported to be on holiday at the same time and in the same area of Sardinia, but the Mercedes boss dismissed any significance in that. 'If you go on holiday close to each other, it doesn't mean that you are also going to work together in Formula One,' he said. 'We have always got along well. We also happen to vacation in similar areas.' For his part, Russell has always maintained that he sees himself staying with Mercedes next season, despite his contract situation. 'The likelihood I'm not at Mercedes next year, I think is exceptionally low,' he told reporters at Silverstone, when quizzed again about his future. 'I wouldn't be surprised if he (Verstappen) comes. And if he comes, I'd welcome him as a teammate. But I don't think he will. I want to continue with Mercedes into the future. The fact is Toto has never let me down. He's always given me his word. 'For me, it's nothing to worry about because I don't think I'll be going anywhere.' The rumour mill had suggested that Antonelli could be loaned to Renault-owned Alpine, who will have Mercedes engines in 2026 and are run by Italian Flavio Briatore. REUTERS, AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store