Team Singapore's indoor skydivers steal the show at world meet despite break-in
SINGAPORE – The Singapore skydiving team showed incredible resolve as they rose above a burglary at their accommodation to collect a sterling haul of one gold, two silver and one bronze medals at the World Indoor Skydiving Championships in Charleroi, Belgium.
On April 25, the athletes were shocked to find their place ransacked, forcing them to relocate to a hotel midway through the April 24-27 competition.
But rather than letting the harrowing experience affect them, the skydivers regrouped with Kyra Poh teaming up with her younger sister Vera, Choo Yi Xuan and Kai Minejima-Lee to claim the dynamic four-way open title.
Kai, 16, added a silver in the solo freestyle open event while Poh and Choo showed their chemistry is still intact with a dynamic two-way open bronze in their first competition since 2018.
Vera, also 16, snatched a silver in the solo speed junior category while the remaining member of the Singapore contingent, Jordan Lee, was placed 11th in the solo freestyle open event on his world championships debut.
A spokesperson for iFly Singapore, an indoor skydiving facility in Sentosa where the skydivers train, confirmed the burglary took place but declined to reveal further details when contacted by The Straits Times.
Poh, making her return to competition after a year-long hiatus due to an ankle injury, was delighted to add to the solo freestyle open gold she won at the 2023 world meet.
'Coming back from such a long injury break and immediately winning medals at the world championships is incredibly rewarding,' said the 22-year-old, Singapore's only Red Bull-sponsored athlete.
Hailing the support of the team during her recovery from the injury, Poh added: 'It feels amazing to be competing again at the highest level.'
The gold was especially satisfying as Singapore avenged their loss to Switzerland at the world meet two years ago with a decisive victory.
'To come back this year and win... against the same Switzerland team, made all the daily training worthwhile,' said Choo, who was in the 2023 team who won a bronze.
The 23-year-old also marked her reunion with Poh for the 'Team Firefly' partnership by edging out France by just 0.02 seconds in a dramatic tiebreak for the dynamic two-way open bronze.
Choo Yi Xuan and Kyra Poh, also known as 'Team Firefly', competed for the first time together since 2018.
PHOTO: MARAT DAMINOV
'Reuniting with Yi Xuan after my injury and immediately getting back on the podium feels amazing,' said Poh.
For Kai, the solo freestyle open champion at the World Cup in 2024, it was another close call as he finished a mere 0.1 point behind Poland's Maja Kuczynska.
'I gave everything in my routine and am proud to add a world championships silver to my World Cup gold,' said the teenager. 'The margin of 0.1 point shows just how competitive this field is.'
Kai Minejima-Lee (left) won the silver medal in the Solo Freestyle Open event.
PHOTO: MARAT DAMINOV
Vera also showed her potential after losing by a mere 0.985sec to Sofya Pauzin of France in the solo speed junior category.
'Speed events are all about focus and consistency. We are flying at speeds of 280kmh which means there is hardly a split second to think when I'm in the tunnel.
'I've been working on perfecting every move and the transitions between patterns and I'm proud to contribute this first silver medal for a solo speed event,' said the 16-year-old.
Vera Poh claimed the silver medal in the Solo Speed Junior event.
PHOTO: MARAT DAMINOV
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
From fan to champ, James Lichtenstein wins his first high diving gold at World Aquatics C'ships
SINGAPORE – Competing alongside rivals whom he idolises, James Lichtenstein earned himself a place in the pantheon on July 27 by clinching the high diving title at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) for the first time. The 30-year-old American, who was trailing leader Carlos Gimeno of Spain by 24.7 points heading into the final round of the men's 27m platform at Sentosa's Palawan Green, executed a clutch dive to claim the gold medal, which was also his country's first at the WCH after 17 days of competition. 'Amazing, incredible, a dream come true. I know I can dive well, but to put it together when it counts is a thrilling feeling,' he said. 'I've been looking up to those guys (his fellow competitors) for years, and I started only four years ago. 'That first year for me was the adjustment period, like 'I'm diving with these idols', but now, I know I can compete with the best of them.' James Lichtenstein in action in round 5 of the men's 27m platform at Sentosa. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Lichtenstein, who started competing in the high diving World Cup only in 2023, had never stood atop the podium previously, coming closest with a silver in the Bahrain leg of the 2024 World Cup. At WCH 2025, he topped the 14-strong field with 428.90 points after round 6, ahead of Gimeno (425.30) and Romania's Constantin Popovici (408.70). Executing five somersaults in the tuck position after a backward take-off, Lichtenstein scored a massive 143.10 points in the final round to surpass Gimeno's armstand 4½ tuck (114.80) and pip him to the gold by 3.6 points. Carlos Gimeno during the sixth round dive. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY 'Not (feeling) so good man,' a sullen Gimeno said at the mixed zone after the final. '(From) being in first all the time for the whole competition… And at the end, just miss the gold by a little bit (three points).' Pointing to his heart, he added: 'That hurt a lot, you know, and that's something that I'm gonna remember, (because it) hit here. 'I guess God didn't want to give me this gold medal this time… But chin up because this sport is so difficult and so dangerous and I'm proud of myself, I put in my best performance.' The Spaniard had led through the first three rounds and again after the fifth, but as he prepared for his sixth and final dive, his hand wobbled while getting in position for his handstand. Gimeno added: 'Normally we have only four rounds of competition. Here we have six rounds, so when I did the handstand, I felt a little tired. But yeah, it's painful. Second place, not good.' But he is keeping a positive attitude and looking to bounce back at the high diving World Cup in Porto Flavia, Italy on Aug 30 and 31. 'It's another competition. So, yeah, that one… Yeah I'm going to win that one. I'm going to remove what I had inside (the pain) and I'm going to win that one.' Popovici, who topped the field after the fourth round, said of his performance: 'In round 5, I missed my back twist by a bit, just a slight short from vertical (entry). In training I did very well, but competition is competition, but I'm happy for third place, and of course, in the future, I wish for a shinier one.'
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
James to bolster England squad when they look to make history in Euro final against Spain
BASEL, Switzerland - England coach Sarina Wiegman expects to have winger Lauren James in her squad for Sunday's Euro 2025 final against Spain, boosting her team's quest to build on the legacy they began by winning the continental title three years ago. James, who has 33 goals in nine games for England including a double in their 4-0 group stage victory over the Netherlands, had been doubtful after injuring her ankle in their 2-1 semi-final win over Italy. "We had 23 players on the pitch today, and everyone came through," Wiegman said at Saturday's pre-match press conference. "If everyone recovers well, then we have everyone fit for tomorrow." England defeated Germany 2-1 in extra time in the 2022 final at Wembley, and the beautiful thing about that moment, said captain Leah Williamson, is that the players know they will likely not experience "something like that again in terms of the change, the story and the journey". But it was the start of an excellent run for England, who were edged by Spain in their first appearance in a World Cup final in 2023, and now can become the first England football team to win a title on foreign soil. "You don't want to be a flash in the pan, a memory, and before 2022 we said it was the start of something so we're still trying to play our role in that," Williamson said. "It's a really privileged time to be part of this team. The opportunity to be the first this and that is a big motivator but more because we know what it does for women's football and continues the legacy that we've already started." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Sunday's final at St Jakob-Park is expected to draw a record viewing audience in England, after the team's dramatic semi-final win over Italy in extra time gave British broadcaster ITV its biggest audience of the year. Williamson said she and her teammates are aware of what another Euro victory would mean. "We're very connected to what it means to the nation. As connected as we can be being away from home," she said. "The opportunity of (Sunday) and what's on offer is the best thing in football. We wanted to be here until the end and have the chance to fight for the trophy and you can't do that until the final. "We don't carry the weight of it and how much it means to people but we're aware of it because it means the same to us. We have a squad of excited, focused players." Williamson, who injured her ankle during England's quarter-final win over Sweden, was asked about playing through pain. "I can speak for every single member of the squad when I say that as long as we get the green light, we would play through anything," she said. "My ankle is great." REUTERS
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Norris takes Spa pole on all-McLaren front row
Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 26, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses with a trophy after winning the sprint race alongside second place McLaren's Oscar Piastri and third place McLaren's Lando Norris REUTERS/Yves Herman SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - McLaren's Lando Norris edged out his championship-leading teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri for pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday. The Briton blasted around the long and flowing Spa-Francorchamps circuit in a best time of one minute 40.562 seconds, with Piastri a mere 0.085 slower, to secure his fourth pole in 13 races and 13th of his career. Norris will be chasing his third win in a row, in what looks like being a wet race on Sunday despite Saturday's sunshine, to cut the Australian's nine-point lead. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start third and Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, winner of the 100 km sprint, qualified fourth for his team's first grand prix under the leadership of Laurent Mekies after Christian Horner was sacked. "The car has been flying all weekend, Oscar's been doing a good job all weekend so we're pushing each other a lot," said Norris, who was third in the sprint with Piastri second. "It's tough because you kind of see where your strengths and weaknesses are. And you learn from each other quickly. It's a good but tough battle that we have at the minute." Norris had been fastest in the opening phase of qualifying, with Piastri a close second, and the positions were reversed in the second segment before the top-10 shootout and the Briton coming out on top. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar "I felt like the car was very good again, but it's fine margins out there. It's obviously not a bad place to be starting but there was more in it, which is always disappointing," Piastri said. "After the sprint, I was aiming for P2," he said, referring to Verstappen winning from that position. Behind the top four, Alex Albon qualified fifth for Williams with George Russell sixth for Mercedes and ahead of Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda. Racing Bulls had Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson eighth and ninth with Sauber's Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto completing the top 10. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, last year's winner with Mercedes, failed to get through the first phase after his best lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. The seven-times world champion, who has yet to stand on the podium since his move to Ferrari at the end of last season, will start 16th. REUTERS
