The third and final day of the Citi Para Swimming World Series Singapore 2024 saw a spectacular home crowd cheering Team Singapore para swimmers on in their last bid to bring back more medals to the Republic’s tally.
A rousing start to the day’s heats saw three Team Singapore para swimmers headed to the finals – Yip Pin Xiu in the Women’s 100m Backstroke Multi-class event, Danielle Moi in the Women’s 100m Butterfly Multi-class event, and Toh Wei Soong in the Men’s 50m Freestyle Multi-class event.
Yip kicked off the bid as the finals opened with the Women’s 100m Backstroke Multi-Class event. The home crowd went wild as Yip neared the last stretch to the finish line, with points trickling down as the time passed. A difference of 11 points eventually cost Yip a final finish at the podium on the last day of the Singapore series, as she ended the race with 790 points, narrowly behind New Zealand’s Tupou Neiufi who earned 801 points. 23-year-old Tupou Neiufi won New Zealand’s first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 event.
“I’m glad that I cut off two seconds from the heats, but there’s also more to work on, such as my aerobic capacity so that I can hold the speed of the second 50m coming back. But all in all, it was extremely nice to race in front of the home crowd again,” shared Yip.
Toh Wei Soong, who had earlier contributed two medals – a gold and a bronze – to the Republic’s tally on the first day of the Singapore series, went up next in the Men’s 50m Freestyle Multi-class event, and finished sixth with 878 points.
In her third A finals in this World Series — the Women’s 100m Butterfly Multi-class event, Danielle Moi finished 7th with 691 points. The event was won by Hong Kong China’s Chan Yui Lam, who came in 4th in the Women’s 100m Butterfly S14 event at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Team Hong Kong China also made their strong presence felt with 14-year-old Ng Cheuk Yan scooping up yet another bronze medal in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley Multi-class event, after a gold yesterday in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke Multi-class event. In August 2023, Ng became Hong Kong’s youngest medalist ever at the World Para Swimming Championships, with a silver podium win in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB6 event, earning a slot for Hong Kong at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Ng is the youngest competitor at the 2024 Singapore series.
“I’m happy because it’s my personal best. And I still have room to improve,” she said. “I will try to improve my starting and turning and strokes to prepare for Paris.”
She will take part in the 100m Breaststroke SB6, 200m Individual Medley SM6 and 100m Backstroke S6 events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Uzbekistan’s Egor Bolotov beat his own Asian Record of 59.66 set in last year’s World Series in Singapore in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S13 category in today’s final, by swimming a time of 59.60, and earning 878 points.
Keiichi Kimura, who debuted in his first Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008, has consistently climbed the podium since London 2012. From a bronze in 2012, a silver in Rio 2016 to a gold in 2021 in Tokyo 2020 in the Men’s 100m Butterfly S8 event, Keichii entered the finals of the Men’s 100m Butterfly Multi-Class event in fourth placing, 41 points behind Uchu Tomita, whom he had beaten in Tokyo 2021 to the gold finish. He managed to clinch a Bronze in the finals with 848 points, after finishing behind Korea’s Inkook Lee, who was the gold medalist in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S14 event in Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and fellow Japanese Uchu Tomita. The duo has earned 926 and 868 points respectively.
Kimura said: “From this competition, my swim techniques and skills were not so good so I need to look at that again for my preparation. I’m not satisfied but it’s a good simulation for Paris because it’s the last international meet before Paris for Team Japan.”
He will be swimming for the 50m Freestyle S11 event and 100m Butterfly S11 event in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The World Para Swimming Series uses the Multi-Class Point System (MCPS) where each swimmer’s result is compared to the world record for their specific sport class and awarded points. The closer the performance is to the relevant record, the higher the points.
Team Singapore wraps up this series with four medals – one gold and one bronze by Toh Wei Soong, one silver and one bronze by Yip Pin Xiu, one National Record set by Wong Zhi Wei, and 15 Personal Bests from 13 swimmers.
Day 3 Notable Results at Citi Para Swimming World Series Singapore 2024 (19 May 2024)
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