‘Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Piastri and Norris racing like champions in F1 title battle
Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 27, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri and McLaren's Lando Norris in action during the race REUTERS/Manon Cruz SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - McLaren boss Andrea Stella says teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are racing like champions and the Formula One title will probably be decided by fine margins and individual brilliance. The pair are 16 points apart in a two-horse race, with Australian Piastri leading McLaren's sixth one-two of the season in Belgium on Sunday and taking his sixth win of the campaign. Red Bull's Max Verstappen is third but 81 points behind with his hopes of a fifth successive title fast receding. There are 11 races left and the intra-team rivalry will be the major focus with McLaren set to retain the constructors' crown with ease as they now a massive 268 points clear of second-placed Ferrari. Norris won in Britain after Piastri was penalised for braking erratically behind the safety car but the Australian triumphed at Spa by slipstreaming past from second on the grid. "There is very, very little between our two drivers and this is because the two drivers are racing at a very, very high level," Stella told reporters. "I think the difference will be made by the accuracy, the precision, the quality of the execution," added the Italian, who worked with champions at Ferrari and said Piastri and Norris were both operating at that level. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after PUB tests Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August to October Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose At Spa, the regular grid lineup was replaced by a rolling start in wet conditions after four laps behind the safety car, with Norris finding pole position was no real advantage once the race got going. Piastri had discovered the same during the Saturday sprint, when Verstappen won from second on the grid after seizing the lead on the opening lap. "We saw in Silverstone that an issue, a sporting issue for Oscar, during the safety car restart and the consequent penalty cost him the race," said Stella. "Here we saw that, somehow related to the circuit characteristic, it would have been very difficult for Lando to keep the position, starting first at the safety car restart." Stella discounted a battery problem that appeared to be an issue initially, saying a slight anomaly had occurred on both cars and Norris should not have been any worse off. "It would have always been very difficult for Lando to keep the position starting first at the safety car restart, but at the same time I think Lando didn't help himself by not having a great gap...," he said. "So I think the execution is what is going to make the main difference." Piastri was not unhappy after qualifying second, observing that Spa was probably the best place not to have the best lap and planning his next move already. "The move through Eau Rouge, I knew it was going to be by far my best opportunity to try and win the race. I'd been thinking about it for a while, put it that way," said the Australian. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Gan Ching Hwee breaks 2 national records, qualifies for World Aquatics C'ships 1,500m final
Over two days, Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee has set new national records in the women's 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle. SINGAPORE – Singapore's distance swimming queen Gan Ching Hwee continued to make strides in the pool on July 28, when the 22-year-old smashed two more national records and clinched a spot in the 1,500m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH). Her time of 16min 1.29sec in the heats – almost nine seconds under the 16:10.13 she swam in the Paris 2024 Olympics heats to narrowly miss the final – also earned her a spot in the championships final as the fastest Asian swimmer. Swimming in Heat 2 at the WCH Arena, she touched the wall third behind Australia's Lani Pallister (15:46.95) and Italy's defending champion Simona Quadarella (15:47.43). She placed fourth out of 27 athletes overall, as American legend Katie Ledecky topped Heat 3 in 15:36.68 to qualify for the July 29 final. Gan's front 800m split of 8:29.93 was also a new national record – her previous best in Paris 2024 was 8:32.37. It was the Singaporean's third national records in two days, after she won her 400m freestyle heat and finished 13th overall in a new mark of 4:09.81 on July 27. Lynette Lim's previous record of 4:11.24 was set in 2009. She told The Straits Times: 'I don't think it has sunk it that much yet. The race was quite exhausting, I gave it my absolute all, and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. I wasn't expecting to break the 800m free national record, and didn't know until I was on the way back from the pool. 'After how close I came in Paris, that definitely gave me a lot of motivation going into this race to be in the top eight. This being my first WCH final, coming 36 hours after the heats, I don't want to set any expectations, I just want to do my best and work on the small details that were lacking from the heats.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after PUB tests Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August to October Business Resilient economy versus uncertain outlook splits views on Singapore's monetary policy Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose Gan's performance in the 1,500m heats was all the more impressive as her timing was the quickest among the Asian swimmers, which included Asian Games champion Li Bingjie (16:02.31) and Japan's open water swimming champion Ichika Kajimoto (16:09.65), who won the 3km knockout sprint on July 19. In placing fourth overall in the heats, she was also ahead of Russia's Olympic silver medallist Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (16:06.97), and bronze medallist Isabel Gose (16:08.41) of Germany, who was in Gan's heat and did not make the final. Gan said: 'Knowing that there were so many big names in my heat inspired me – if they can do what they have done, then what's holding me back from improving my times as well and get closer to them than I used to be, which was like a full minute behind? 'But during the race, I didn't think about who I was racing against. If I see someone, I was just going to give chase and hope for the best. I don't think the heats really mean that much more than making the final, because many of them have faster times and more experience doing heats and finals, while this is my first and I'm still learning as I'm going.' National swimming head coach and performance director Gary Tan credited Gan's family, her Singapore Swimming Club coach Eugene Chia and Singapore Aquatics technical consultant Sonya Porter for the swimmer's upward trajectory. She has shaved more than half a minute off her 1,500m time since 2022. He said: 'Her latest times are quite timely ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, which will be a good marker to see what is to come from her future.' Chia shared that they have always had an Asian Games medal, the Olympics and WCH finals in their sights. He said: 'She has been swimming well, and went a bit faster than expected today, but this is not beyond her with hard work and the home crowd energy. 'In terms of potential, based on today's swim, she has thrown her name into the hat of Asian Games medal contenders. She is a very good racer, tactically she carries out our race plan on point, and she has shown she can be up there with the finest.' Other Singaporeans who featured in the heats in July 28 were Letitia Sim (23rd in the 100m breaststroke), Quah Zheng Wen (29th in the 100m backstroke), Levenia Sim (34th in the 100m backstroke) and Jonathan Tan (40th in the 200m freestyle).
Online Citizen
8 hours ago
- Online Citizen
Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee sets new 400m freestyle national record at World Aquatics Championships
Singaporean national swimmer Gan Ching Hwee has broken a long-standing national record in the women's 400m freestyle, surpassing a mark that had stood for nearly 16 years. The previous record of 4:11.24 was set by Lynette Lim at the 2009 SEA Games. Competing at the World Aquatics Championship Singapore 2025, Gan clocked an impressive 4:09.81. She finished first in her heat and placed 13th overall, while the United States' Katie Ledecky topped the four heats with a time of 4:01.04. 'I was very pleasantly surprised that I went below my best time by that much,' Gan told reporters. 'Past a certain age, my best times have only been incrementally getting better. Especially the 400m, which has been quite a challenging event for me. I don't think I've made a massive breakthrough in the past few years.' This is not the first time Gan has rewritten the record books. During her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games, she broke national records in both the 800m and 1,500m freestyle events. In the 800m freestyle, Gan set a new national mark of 8:32.37, finishing seventh in her heat. She followed that with another record in the 1,500m freestyle, winning her heat in 16:10.13, although she narrowly missed out on the finals by one place.
