Latest news with #WCH
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
‘Special connection' sees Alexandri sisters clinch duet technical title at World Aquatics C'ships
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Anna-Maria Alexandri (left) and Eirini-Marina Alexandri of Austria celebrate after winning the artistic swimming women's duet technical event at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. SINGAPORE – Like most siblings, Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri run into arguments, but they have found an unorthodox way to resolve them. Whenever the Austrian artistic swimmers, who are part of a triplet with their sister Vasiliki, have any disagreements, all it takes is a shared glance and a laugh to move past it. It is this unique bond that has helped them clinch their second world title on July 21, as they won the women's duet technical gold at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH). At the WCH Arena, the pair scored 307.1451 points, finishing ahead of Chinese twins Lin Yanhan and Lin Yanjun (301.4057) and Russians Mayya Doroshko and Tatiana Gayday (300.2183), who are competing as neutrals. With sisters taking up the top two spots on the podium, the 27-year-old Alexandris were asked if there is anything about being triplets or twins that helps with their pool performances. Eirini-Marina said: 'We have a special connection because we know how we feel and I know how she feels, even if I just look at her, so I know what I have to tell her to calm her down... 'It's sometimes easier because the twins, triplets, sisters have the same body structure and the same way they express the music, the movement, and in artistic swimming we look for perfection.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes at college campus Singapore ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act? Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore NTU to have compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026 World US authorities probing passenger jet's close call with B-52 bomber over North Dakota Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety Having topped the preliminary round three days earlier, the sisters were the final pair to take to the pool. But they took little notice of their competitors' scores; all that mattered to Anna-Maria was that it would be their turn at 7.25pm. They delivered a flawless routine to Japanese composer Koji Sakurai's version of the classical piece Swan Lake, securing their second world title, adding to the duet free gold they had won at the 2023 Fukuoka world championships. Their synchronicity in the pool was mirrored outside it, as they showcased their deep understanding of each other at the media mixed zone, seamlessly completing each other's responses in interviews. Eirini-Marina Alexandri (left) and Anna-Maria Alexandri of Austria performing their routine in the artistic swimming women's duet technical event at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This victory comes after they were forced to withdraw from the 2024 Doha championships as Anna-Maria was still recovering from an injury suffered the year before. Anna-Maria said: 'We are very happy to be back. I had a shoulder dislocation in the summer of 2023 and I had pain and it hadn't fully recovered for Doha, so we had to withdraw from the world championships because our big goal was the Paris Olympics. 'Now we are very happy because this was the highlight of the year and we finished with a gold medal.' It has not been easy for the siblings since the Paris Olympics, where they were fourth in the duet. At the end of 2024, their long-time coach Albena Mladenova, who had guided them for 12 years, retired. For some time, they trained on their own, until they began working with Japanese coach Takako Nakajima four months ago – a partnership that has already yielded impressive results. Before their win in Singapore, they bagged the duet technical title at the European Championships in June, while Vasiliki returned after an 11-month break to take bronze in the solo technical at the World Cup in Canada. It was a familiar face atop the men's solo free podium on July 21, with Russian Aleksandr Maltsev, who is competing under neutral status, claiming his second gold after clinching the solo technical crown two days earlier. Neutral athlete Aleksandr Maltsev bagged his second title at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships after winning the men's solo free on July 21, 2025. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Maltsev topped with 229.5613 points, with China's Guo Muye (220.1926) and Italy's Filippo Pelati (213.9850) clinching silver and bronze respectively. While he had emerged triumphant at the venue a few days before, that win was no longer on the 30-year-old's mind. The six-time world championship gold medallist explained: 'It was completely new because it's a new routine, it's another (set of) rules from the technical routine. 'I was excited to compete today and I'm very satisfied that I could show my best swim in this routine because I've been doing this routine for one month. 'We created this routine one month ago for the world championships... it was very difficult during the training sessions because I did four routines – mixed duets and two solos – and this routine is one of the most difficult of our routines.' Earlier in the day, defending champions China topped the preliminary rounds of the team technical event with 306.2460 points, followed by neutral athletes from Russia (295.4633) and Spain (288.4091). Singapore missed out on the final after finishing 23rd with 200.6333 points.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
‘Curse lifted' as Greece stun holders US to reach women's water polo final at World Aquatics C'ships
Greece captain Eleftheria Plevritou believes that 'a curse had been lifted' after their World Cup win in April in China. SINGAPORE – Defending champions the United States and Olympic gold medallists Spain were both bundled out of the women's water polo competition at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) on July 21, as Greece and Hungary reached the final. For the Greeks, who stunned world No. 3 US 14-10 in the semi-finals at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, it felt like a 'curse' has been lifted. 'It was amazing today, we played really good. My team is ready for the final, ready for the gold,' said Greece captain Eleftheria Plevritou. A fourth-quarter scoring spree – which saw Eleni Xenaki, Vasiliki Plevritou and Stefania Santa completing their hat-tricks – helped the world No. 5 side extend their 9-8 lead to dethrone the eight-time world champions. US coach Adam Krikorian said: ' We gave it everything we had today. At the end of the day, that's just an incredible Greek team. They're much better than we are right now and our inexperience and inability to handle some physicality and disorganisation offensively led to some easy goals for them.' This will be the Greeks' first WCH final since winning their only title in 2011. 'I think it was a curse. We've had great teams, great players throughout the years, but I think what was missing (was that) we didn't believe in ourselves, we didn't have the confidence that we needed,' Plevritou said of their inability to reach the final previously. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes at college campus Singapore ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act? Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore NTU to have compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026 World US authorities probing passenger jet's close call with B-52 bomber over North Dakota Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety 'But after the gold medal in the World Cup a few months ago in China, I think we gained that confidence that helped us to come here stronger with a clear mind, that we know that we can do it. 'Of course, we have one more game, the most important one, but I'm sure that we will fight for the gold until the last seconds.' They will be facing Hungary in the July 23 final, a rematch of the gold-medal match at the World Cup in April. The Hungarians had shocked top-ranked Spain 15-9 in the later semi-final on July 21. While world No. 4 Hungary had beaten Greece 10-9 in a group-stage match on July 11, the WCH's opening day, their goalkeeper Boglarka Neszmely believes that counts for nothing. 'The Greeks are a really strong team. We always play a tough game against each other and it will be a different game from the group match, a final is always different,' said Neszmely, the Player of the Match in the semi-final win over Spain. Spain captain Anni Espar was left to rue an uncharacteristically leaky backline. She said: 'Our defence went wrong today. Yes, things weren't working in offence, but our defence was one of the strengths of this team, and we weren't able to perform. 'We have another opportunity to win a medal, and I think it's a young team and we want to keep learning and growing as a team.' They will face the Americans in the third-place play-off on July 23. In the earlier classification matches, Australia beat Japan 21-17, while the Netherlands defeated Italy 16-13. Australia will face the Netherlands in the fifth-place play-off while Japan take on Italy for seventh place. Both matches will be played on July 23.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
China retain artistic swimming team free title at World Aquatics Championships
Find out what's new on ST website and app. China's artistic swimmers impressing judges and spectators at the World Aquatics Championships' team free final at the WCH Arena on July 20. SINGAPORE – Overcome by emotion at the end of their routine, China's artistic swimming coach Zhang Xiaohuan shed tears of joy as she planted a kiss on the cheek of each and every one of her swimmers. Her team had scored 348.4779 points to retain their title in the team free category at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) Arena on July 20. Japan were second (334.7232), with Spain (321.1328) taking home the bronze. Zhang believes that had she not made three technical changes after the Artistic Swimming World Cup in Xi'an, China in June, they would not have been on the podium. 'Overall I am very happy with our performance and despite having faced some difficulties leading up to this, we managed to pull through,' the 44-year-old said in Mandarin. China's Xu Huiyan, who won the women's solo technical event a day earlier, said: 'Coach had aimed for us to score 350 points, but we were happy nonetheless. 'Last year (at the WCH in Doha), I was merely a spectator and today I am a competitor. It is a huge change, there is pressure, but the goal is just to do my best.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore Both Bukit Panjang LRT disruptions in July linked to newly installed power system: SMRT Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore More initiatives and support for migrant community announced at Racial Harmony Day event Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi China were the last to take to the pool as they had topped the preliminary round a day earlier, with Spain qualifying in second and Japan third. Japan had made five changes to the team of eight who finished fifth out of 10 at the Paris Olympics last August, but produced a captivating performance that exuded poise and elegance. Spain then put on a bold performance, but an error in their eighth hybrid element caused them to drop points. They were awarded a lower score than their preliminary-round result of 329.4288. Japan captain Tomoka Sato said: 'We were third place yesterday, but second today. Doesn't matter what the result was, I'm very satisfied with our performance. 'Before the Olympics, we had so much pressure back home because artistic swimming is a traditional sport and most people thought that maybe we could get a medal. 'After the Olympics, we changed the team and our mindset changed – that made the difference this time.' Japan's Sakurako Uchida in action during the World Aquatics Championships' team free final at the WCH Arena on July 20. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Despite losing out on silver after their mistake, Spain's Dennis Gonzalez Boneu believes that it was an 'incredible performance from my teammates'. The 21-year-old said: 'We made a little mistake and this was not good for us, but I'm happy because we (still managed to) be inside the podium places with this little mistake. 'All the choreography today was better than yesterday and I enjoyed it a lot. 'With this routine, we wanted to show people that 'crazy is normal in our lives' and this choreography shows that you can be crazy, but you also can be a genius.' The turnout on July 20 was better than previous days, with the 4,800-capacity WCH Arena looking slightly more than half full. While two stands with restricted view were closed, the organisers said that 'close to two thirds of the available ticketed seats were occupied during the team free final'. In the earlier women's solo free preliminary round, China's Xu scored 238.7737 points to top the list of 12 heading into the final on July 22, when the 19-year-old will be eyeing her third gold at this WCH. Belarusian Vasilina Khandoshka, who competes as a neutral athlete, qualified second with 238.2762 points, ahead of Spain's Iris Tio Casas (235.3063). Singapore's Rachel Thean did not qualify for the final after finishing 16th out of 30 with a personal-best 201.2638 points.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Italy's Edoardo di Somma rises from coma to become water polo world champion
Italy's Edoardo Di Somma (No. 11) in action during the World Aquatics Championships men's water polo Group A penalty shootout win over Serbia. SINGAPORE – In its 103-word entirety, English poet William Ernest Henley's Invictus is inked on Edoardo di Somma's thigh. Latin for unconquered, Invictus is a poem about willpower and strength in the face of adversity, and few in the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) field will have a story as terrifying and triumphant to tell as the Italian water polo player. Three months before his 18th birthday in September 2014, di Somma was involved in a traffic accident that killed the driver of the other scooter and left him in a 10-day medically induced coma with multiple fractures, while his friend Giacomo Cocchiere broke his leg. Incredibly, after being told by doctors he would never be able to play competitive sports again, he was celebrating a world title with his national team five years and 55 days later. While the 28-year-old was disappointed to lose 17-11 to Greece in the WCH men's water polo quarter-finals at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 20 after beating Olympic champions Serbia on penalties in the group stage, he knows there are more important things in life and he is grateful to even be alive and be able to play the sport he loves. Di Somma told The Straits Times: 'It was the hardest time of my life. I had to stay in my bedroom for eight months. 'When I looked at the gold medal, I experienced flashbacks. I remembered the first time I threw myself into the water after the accident, I couldn't even swim a length on my back, and with every breaststroke kick I felt excruciating pain in my pelvis. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore 2-in-1 airport police robot on trial can patrol and serve as PMD with ride-hailing feature Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi Singapore Minor Issues: Why I didn't send my daughters to my brand-name primary school 'I was drowning, I couldn't stay upright. I cried on the edge of the pool, but I stayed in the pool and with the help of my coaches, orthopaedist and physiotherapists, and the support of my family and friends, I slowly returned to swimming and playing.' To take a line out of Invictus, di Somma has always been the master of his fate and the captain of his soul. As a youngster, he was a prolific attacker who scored goals for fun after being influenced by his older brothers Roman and Alessandro. But shortly after he re-learnt how to play water polo following his accident, he was training to play as a defender in 2017, as he felt he needed extra attributes to become a national team regular. And it was in this new position that he contributed to Italy's world championship-winning run in 2019, as well as silvers in 2022 and 2024. Believing in miracles, di Somma is eyeing an Olympic medal with Italy following back-to-back quarter-final exits at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Advising others in difficult situations to tackle them head-on like how he has done in and out of the pool, di Somma said: 'You can fall down in life, but you have to stand every time. Italy's Edoardo di Somma (left) attempting a shot during the World Aquatics Championships men's water polo Group A win over Romania. PHOTO: REUTERS 'When you have some problems, you have to solve them, so don't cry.' The quarter-finals on July 2 0 saw the powerhouses take to the water, including di Somma's Italy. His two goals were not enough as Italy, ranked world No. 7, were knocked out by world No. 4 Greece, losing 17-11. Greece goalkeeper and player of the match Panagiotis Tzortzatos put on a masterclass between the posts, boasting a 59 per cent save percentage. World Cup champions and world No. 2 Spain will meet Greece in the semi-finals on July 22 after Bernat Sanahuja scored six goals en route to their comfortable 14-5 victory over world No. 8 Montenegro. The other semi-final will be between Serbia and Hungary. World No. 5 Serbia prevailed 14-9 over the sixth-ranked Americans, handing them their sole loss of the championships so far. Hungary, world No. 3 and four-time world champions, eased past top-ranked Croatia, the title holders from Doha, 18-12. In the morning, hosts Singapore concluded their world championship debut with a win, pipping South Africa to 15th place by 14-13 . That slim victory could have been more comfortable had it not been for Goh Wen Zhe's red card in the fourth quarter. He admitted losing his cool as his moment of indiscipline swung the momentum in South Africa's favour. It made for a nervy finale as the South Africans nearly closed a four-goal gap, but Singapore eventually held on for their first win of the tournament for either gender and they had goalkeeper Ken Chou to thank, with the 37-year-old making a staggering 13 saves. 'We knew that it wouldn't be easy. For South Africa, it was a revenge match for them,' said Chou, citing their 13-9 win in the water polo World Cup seven months ago. As the oldest member of the squad, he believes that there is much potential for this 'relatively young team'. He said: 'There's a lot of mental to build up on (for) this team to go to the next stage, but I think the seniors will definitely be there to help.' Singaporean centre back Goh Wen Zhe scored a team-high three goals and also received a red card during the 15th–16th placing match against South Africa at the World Aquatics Championships. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Men's coach Kan Aoyagi agreed, saying: 'We are working really hard. They (these players) have never trained two times a day. They (have) never become a full-time athlete before January, and they were doing well these last six months.' He complimented his team for 'completing our mission' of winning one game at the World Championships. When asked what were his plans ahead of the SEA Games in December, he instead looked further to the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. 'I believe our standard now is not SEA Games standard. SEA Games is no issue,' said Aoyagi. 'Our next mission is to prepare for (the) next Asian Games. I want to be top four and try to get the medal.'
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Four in four for Germany's open water king Florian Wellbrock at Sentosa
(From left) German swimmers Oliver Klemet, Florian Wellbrock, Celine Rieder and Isabel Gose posing for a group photo after anchor-leg Wellbrock sealed their 4x1,500m victory. SINGAPORE – Few things are predictable when it comes to nature's elements, but off Sentosa's waters, Florian Wellbrock is proving to be one of those rare constants as he won a fourth title in five days at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Singapore. On July 20, the final day of the open water races, there was a familiar sight on the blue pontoon emblazoned 'World Aquatics Singapore 2005' at Palawan Green as the 27-year-old stretched out his hands in delight, while teammates Isabel Gose, Oliver Klemet and Celine Rieder joined in the celebrations. Anchoring his team to victory in the mixed 4x1,500m relay, Wellbrock touched the finish pad first as Germany won in 1hr 9min 13.3sec for their first gold medal in this event since 2022 after finishing fourth in the last two editions. Italy's Barbara Pozzobon, Ginevra Taddeucci, Marcello Guidi and Gregorio Paltrinieri (1:09:15.4) settled for silver, with Hungary's Bettina Fabian, Viktoria Mihalyvari-Farkas, Kristof Rasovszky and David Betlehem (1:09:16.7) third. Just a day before, Wellbrock became the first open water swimmer to win three individual events at the WCH when he clinched the new 3km knockout event, following earlier victories in the 10km and 5km races. The Tokyo Olympic 10km champion held up four fingers to signify his bountiful haul in Singapore, something he had not expected. Germany's Florian Wellbrock holding up four fingers to represent the number of gold medals he won in Singapore. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO 'I tried to be in the top position in the 10km and the rest of the races were like a bonus. I think nobody came here to win four gold medals, not me or anyone else,' he told The Straits Times shortly after the win. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Singapore HSA extends hotline hours, launches new platform to report vaping offences Singapore Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore World Diplomats dismissed: Inside the overhaul reshaping Trump's foreign policy Life US tech CEO Andy Byron resigns after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video Opinion I thought I was a 'chill' parent. Then came P1 registration Singapore 'God and government are the only things beyond our control,' says Group CEO In the press conference later, Wellbrock was still at a loss for words. 'To be honest, I'm still speechless, so I have no idea (how) I did it, and I'm so proud of my team today,' he said. 'We made history today. The relay is always special... I'm absolutely proud of my team and my own performance.' In the mixed 4x1,500m team relay, four swimmers (two men and two women) swim one lap of 1,500m each. Teams deployed different combinations, with some sending out their male athletes first and ending with their female swimmers, while some opted to start with the women. Australia (Chelsea Gubecka), Italy (Pozzobon), Germany (Rieder), France (Clemence Coccordano) and Hungary (Bettina) all started with female swimmers on the first leg, while teams such as Thailand (Ratthawit Thammananthachote), who led before the first changeover, started with a male swimmer. But by the end of the second leg, Germany were in the top three before capturing the lead in the third leg. Gose, Germany's third swimmer, then handed over to Wellbrock with a healthy lead. Italy's Paltrinieri started the final leg of the race well and closed the gap on Wellbrock, while Betlehem of Hungary was also looking to make it a nervy finish for the Germans. But Wellbrock had enough in the tank to hang on. Wellbrock is not done with his medal harvest just yet. His attention will now shift to indoor swimming, which kicks off on July 27. He is expected to compete in the men's 1,500m freestyle, in which he holds the short course world record. But, for now, his body is in need of a rest. He said: 'All batteries are empty. I think it is a combination of empty body and emotional mind. One week of racing all events is really tough, and especially with the pressure today, I was absolutely happy to finish my competition, and this happened with a great performance. I need a little reset.' Singapore's quartet of Chantal Liew, Kate Ona, Russel Pang and Artyom Lukasevits finished a respectable 14th out of 23 teams in 1:15:39.00, ahead of South Korea (17th), Thailand (18th), Hong Kong (19th) and India (20th). Liew, 26, said she was pleased with the home team's display. 'We can hold our heads high. We were ahead of our South-east Asian rivals Thailand as well as South Korea. Overall, I am really proud of the team,' she said. The final day of open water swimming brings to an end four days of intense battles across the 10k, 5km, 3km knockout sprint and mixed relay races. The waters off Sentosa had been the centre of global attention even before racing began. Following two delays after tests revealed that Escherichia coli bacteria levels in the waters off Sentosa had exceeded World Aquatics thresholds, the events finally kicked off in the afternoon of July 16. This had resulted in punishing conditions of 30.4 deg C for the water temperature during the men's event and 30.8 deg C for the women's, with several swimmers describing it as one of the most gruelling races of their careers while some athletes were unable to complete the opening race. While open water swim events have concluded, attention in Sentosa will now shift to the 37-metre tower that will be the centrepiece of the high diving competition from July 24 to 27.
