SINGAPORE: Team Singapore para-swimmers Toh Wei Soong, and Yip Pin Xiu made a splash at the 2024 Citi Para Swimming World Series, as the duo won a total of four medals (a gold and silver, and two bronze medals) in a testament to their unwavering dedication and excellence in the pools.
The competition was held from May 17 to 19 at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, Singapore Sports Hub.
Toh, diagnosed with the rare condition of Transverse Myelitis at the tender age of two, shone brightly on the first day of competition, winning an impressive two medals in the multi-class events.
His unrelenting spirit propelled him to gold in the men’s 50m butterfly and bronze in the 100m freestyle, bringing cheers to fans and fellow athletes at the Sports Hub.
In a thrilling display of speed and agility, Toh stormed to victory in the 50m butterfly, claiming the top spot with a blistering time of 31.18s.
Japan’s Kaeda Hinata secured silver at a time of 35.76s, while Kazakhstan’s Siyazbek Daliyev settled for bronze at a time of 36.61s.
Toh battled valiantly in the 100m freestyle, earning a well-deserved bronze medal with a time of 1m 04.28s, in a race that saw Uchu Tomita of Japan asserting his supremacy, clinching gold with a time of 58.73s.
The silver medal went to Lee In-kook from South Korea (55.30s).
According to the Singapore Disability Sports Council, Toh attended a three-week training camp in Nagano, Japan, to prepare for the Citi Para Swimming World Series and the upcoming Paralympics.
“It was a great way to prepare myself for this meet to gain that confidence going into the final months for Paris,” expressed 25-year-old Toh after winning the gold and bronze medals on the first day of the competition.
Fellow seasoned Team Singapore para-swimmer Yip started the competition by winning the bronze medal in the women’s 100m freestyle multi-class event.
With a time of 2m 20.22s, she finished in third place. Japanese para-swimmers Tomomi Ishiura (1m 08.16s) and Ayano Tsujiuchi (1m 01.12s), respectively, took home the gold and silver medals.
“I’m happy with the timing. I did a faster time in the finals than I did in the Heats, even though it’s not as fast as what I did in Madeira.
It’s a good start for the cycle, and we are looking forward to improving in the next 15 weeks before the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” said Yip after winning the bronze medal in the 100m freestyle.
On the second day of competition, Yip shone brightly in her signature event, the 50m backstroke multi-class event. She clinched a silver medal with a time of 1m 04.89s and earned a score of 853.
Angel Mae Atom of the Philippines won the gold medal (44.72s, 914 scores), while Maori Yui of Japan won the bronze medal (55.60s, 521 scores).
In multi-class events, the winner and ranking are determined by several combinations, such as the athlete who achieves the highest multi-class point score and the swimmers who come closest to the world record in their classification.
“The 50m backstroke is one of my events in Paris, and my time was pretty similar to the time I did in Madeira, so my coach and I were happy. It was an amazing atmosphere, and it was a really nice swim,” added the five-time Paralympics gold medallist.
Yip, a freshly minted inductee into the Singapore Aquatics inaugural Hall of Fame, first struck gold in the 50m backstroke S3 race at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, paving the way for a glittering career.
Eight years later, she reignited her dominance in Rio, Brazil, claiming dual gold medals in the 50m and 100m backstroke S2 events.
Four years later, she successfully defended those gold medals at the subsequent Paralympics in Tokyo, which cemented her status as one of Singapore’s para-swimming icons.
Yip kicked off her preparations for the 2024 Paralympics by claiming the gold medal at the Para Swimming European Open Championships in Madeira, Portugal, on April 23.
She dominated the 100m backstroke S2 category, clocking a time of 2m 17.20s.
Diana Koltsova, competing as a neutral athlete, secured silver (2m 31.55s), while Italy’s Angela Procida took home the bronze medal with a time of 2m 41.64s. The upcoming Paralympics will be held in Paris, from Aug 28 to Sept 8.