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Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
‘Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions
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.'
Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Find your inspiration at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – Singaporean swimmer Gan Ching Hwee still remembers the time she shared the pool with long-distance legend Katie Ledecky, winner of nine Olympic golds and 21 world championship titles. It was in 2022 at the Swimming World Cup in Indianapolis, where they both competed in the women's 800m freestyle final and the American set a new short-course world record of 7min 57.42sec. Then 19, Gan did not fare too badly, clocking a national record of 8:22.91. Quoting author Napoleon Hill, she summed up that awe-inspiring encounter and Ledecky's prowess: 'Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.' She added: 'I was in the lane closest to all the spectators and I could feel the sound travelling through the water. That gave me quite a bit of boost and a greater sense of purpose finishing that race, because I knew something special was happening from the energy from the crowd. 'At the same time, being so close in proximity to someone so great lets me see that they are also just another human being and it's all in the mind, to believe that you can achieve what you want to accomplish.' Motivated by that race with her idol, Gan went on to earn a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics and set two national records in the 800m (8:32.37) and 1,500m (16:10.13). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Singapore Tough questions lie ahead as Singapore accelerates push for driverless vehicles Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore S'pore's open trade system, trusted regulatory framework a draw for chemicals sector: Tan See Leng Singapore People working in air-conditioned spaces prefer 24 deg C and warmer: Survey As Gan will attest to, there is nothing like witnessing greatness up close. And Singaporeans have had a front-row seat to some of the world's biggest sporting events. Among the highlights are the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the 2015 SEA Games, premier golf event the HSBC Women's World Championship (17 times), 15 Formula One races, five Women's Tennis Association Finals and four editions of table tennis' Singapore Smash. With the world's top swimmers, divers, artistic swimmers and water polo players set to compete at the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) here, the event could inspire a new generation of Singaporean athletes. Chinese divers like eight-gold world champion Wang Zongyuan are set to wow spectators with their somersaults, tucks and turns at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, while artistic swimmers such as mixed duet technical routine defending champions Nargiza Bolatova and Eduard Kim, history-makers from landlocked Kazakhstan, will entertain and enthral in the WCH Arena pool with their balletic elegance. World swimming records are set to fall in the WCH Arena, with Ledecky and four-gold Olympic champion Leon Marchand of France aiming to create a splash in Singapore. In water polo, expect thrills and spills as the likes of powerhouses Serbia, Croatia and Spain battle for dominance. Over at Sentosa, Brazil's heavily-tattooed, 16-time open water world championship medallist Ana Marcela Cunha will show fans what resilience across 10km looks like, while Australian high diver Rhiannan Iffland – unbeaten at the world championships since her debut in 2017 – will conduct a clinic on courage by leaping off a 20m platform. Over the next three weeks, there will be no shortage of star power as around 2,500 athletes from more than 200 countries and territories congregate in the Lion City to compete across the six aquatic disciplines. Beyond the stars, others will inspire with their tales of overcoming the odds. Artistic swimmer and World Cup medallist Kyra Hoevertsz hails from tiny Aruba, which measures just a quarter of Singapore's land area and has a population of only 125,000. The 27-year-old was spurred on by her mother Esther Croes and aunt Nicole Hoevertsz, who competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when the Caribbean country did not have a proper pool, and male artistic swimming trailblazer Bill May, who helped her while she was on the World Aquatics Scholarship Programme in California. Inspiration can be found right at home, too. Cayden Loh was just 10 when he sat in the OCBC Aquatic Centre to cheer on his coach Lee Kai Yang, who was the goalkeeper when Singapore won the water polo gold at the 2015 SEA Games. Ten years on, Loh was part of the Singapore team that recorded a milestone win over Kazakhstan at the Asian Under-20 Water Polo Championships in March. He said: 'Watching Kai Yang play and command the team during the 2015 SEA Games lit a fire in me – it inspired me to train harder, to not just be the best in South-east Asia, but to eventually compete on the world stage. 'What started as admiration for my coach has now become the honour of playing alongside him. The grind doesn't stop here as there's still a lot of room for us to grow as individuals and as a team. The journey is far from over, and one day I hope to be good enough to play professionally.' At the WCH Arena, teacher and student will now be teammates as the national men's team make their World Aquatics Championships debut. Lee said: 'We want to do well in the present, but these major meets are also about planting a seed in the heads of the next generation of aquatic athletes in the stands, that this is within their grasp, and they can far surpass what we are able to do.' Inspiration can also be an impetus. The 2010 YOG was not only an introduction to future Olympic swimming champions such as South Africa's Chad le Clos and Australia's Emma McKeon, it also helped to restart Singapore's dormant diving programme. This led to the Republic getting back on the SEA Games podium after a 30-year drought. From 1965 to 1983, Singapore claimed 18 diving medals at the regional meet, and almost doubled the tally to 32 from 2013 to 2023. Ashlee Tan, who won a women's 3m synchronised springboard gold with Fong Kay Yian in 2017, said: 'It always felt impossible to beat the Malaysians, who have produced Olympic and world championships medallists. But now, we feel there's a slight chance, and I managed to finish higher than one of the Malaysians at the last world championships in Doha.' Singapore may not be a global aquatics powerhouse, but it has made huge strides in recent times. It now has a former Olympic swimming champion in Joseph Schooling, a first Olympic open water swimmer (Chantal Liew), historic World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final bronze medallists in Debbie Soh, Yvette Chong and Kiera Lee, and a women's water polo team who made their first appearance at the world championships. It also boasts a fast pool built in just six months in a carpark, just steps away from the world-class Singapore Sports Hub that also houses the High Performance Sport Institute. 'Water Shapes Us' is the theme of the world championships, to encapsulate Singapore's relationship with water and its significance in the hosts' development and identity as a nation. The hope is that the marquee aquatics event will shape Singapore's sporting culture and leave a legacy beyond this three-week extravaganza – that Singaporeans will be inspired and motivated to learn, participate and spectate in the artistic swimming, diving, high diving, swimming, open water swimming and water polo. Maybe 10 years from now, Singapore will see its first high diver. Or the next Joseph Schooling.
New Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Olympian Rouxin stuns swimming fraternity with Malaysia Open no-show
KUALA LUMPUR: Olympian Tan Rouxin's absence from last month's Malaysia Open has sparked confusion within the swimming fraternity. Rouxin, who won the 200m individual medley at the same meet last year, did not feature in any event during the four-day competition. When contacted, Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) vice-president Marilyn Chua revealed the decision was reached after discussions between Rouxin and national coach Eric Anderson prior to the meet. "After the discussion, Rouxin agreed to sit out the Malaysia Open," said Marilyn. "From the association's side, we will engage with Rouxin and her coaches to better understand the full context of the situation." The development has raised concerns, as the Johor-born swimmer is widely regarded as one of the brightest young stars in the national team. Rouxin burst onto the scene at the 2022 Malaysia Games, where she claimed six gold medals as a 16-year-old. Last year, MAS selected her to fill one of the two universality quota spots for the Paris Olympics, entering her in the 100m breaststroke. In Paris, Rouxin, who turns 19 in July, won her preliminary heat in 1:12.50s but placed 33rd out of 37 swimmers, missing out on the semi-finals. However, she bounced back in stunning fashion by becoming the first Malaysian in 35 years to win a medal at a Swimming World Cup event. She won bronze in the 400m individual medley at the Shanghai leg of the short-course meet in October, clocking 4:55.27 — just 0.79s off her own national record of 4:54.48.
