Photo of Toh Wei Soong and Coach Ang Peng Siong. Credit: SDSC
Team Singapore para swimmers delivered a strong showing at the 2025 Para Swimming World Series Fuji-Shizuoka, clinching two medals at the inaugural Japan leg of the competition, held from 10 to 12 April.
Paralympian Toh Wei Soong made a powerful return to the international stage since last competing at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, scoring a silver in the Men’s 50m Butterfly Multiclass finals with a time of 31.35s and earning 904 World Para Swimming points on the opening day.
Toh shared: “Fuji-Shizuoka is my first-time back in competition since Paris 2024 and a long break from swimming, the first I had in 5 years since pre-Covid. Performing well in the sprints is a good sign to me that I have the ability to come back after a long rest and the longer distances are a good indication of where I am physically and how much work I have left to do to prepare for the World Championships at home this year.”
Besides the 50m Butterfly Multiclass event, Toh competed in the Men’s 100m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke Multiclass as well as the 400m Freestyle Multiclass events during the competition.
Seven-time Paralympic gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu secured a bronze medal in the Women’s 50m Backstroke Multiclass finals on the opening day as well. Clocking 1:05.98s and earning 815 World Para Swimming points, she improved on her previous time of 1:06.33 (806 points) at the Australian leg of the World Series, where she clinched a silver medal.
Wong Zhi Wei and Darren Chan also competed in this edition of the World Series, gaining valuable experience and testing their race strategies against top international competitors.
These achievements add to Team Singapore’s success in para swimming this year, following Yip Pin Xiu’s silver in the Women’s 50m Backstroke Multiclass event and bronze in the 200m Freestyle Multiclass event, as well as Sophie Soon’s silver in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke Multiclass event at the Australian leg of the World Series held from 14 to 16 February.
The momentum continues as Team Singapore gears up for their upcoming competitions, with sights firmly set on the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships, which Singapore will host for the first time from 21 to 27 September. This historic event will mark the first time the prestigious World Championships are held in Asia.
The competition marks Japan’s debut as the second Asian host in the history of the World Series and the only Asian stop in this year’s circuit, following Singapore’s successful hosting over the past three editions. The World Series first expanded into Asia in 2019, when Singapore became the region’s inaugural host.
The World Para Swimming Series uses the Multi-Class Point System 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.
Link to Media Release
