Singapore's Yip Pin Xiu clinches 100m backstroke S2 silver at World Para Swimming Championships
This is Singapore's first medal at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships.
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SINGAPORE: Swim star Yip Pin Xiu clinched Singapore's first medal at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships on Tuesday (Sep 23), taking silver in the 100m backstroke S2.
At the OCBC Aquatics Centre, the defending champion clocked a time of 2:23.73 to finish behind gold medallist Diana Koltsova (2:19.60) of Russia, who competes as a neutral athlete. Italy's Angela Procida (2:32.32) claimed the bronze.
Yip had been gunning for her fourth consecutive gold in the event, having won it at the last three world championships in 2019, 2022 and 2023. The 33-year-old also won the 50m backstroke S2 at those meets and has a total of seven world titles.
Speaking to reporters, Yip said there was "a bit of disappointment" at not being able to perform as well as she had wanted to on home soil.
"I think the disappointment is not that I didn't get the gold, but the timing," she said.
"I know I can do better, and I know that these times are not my best … So there's a bit of: 'Ah, sian, wasted,'" she added, using a local colloquialism that conveys disappointment and frustration.
Yip currently holds the world and championships records in both the 100m and 50m backstroke S2 events.
She is also a three-time Paralympic champion in each event, winning them both at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Paralympics.
Earlier in the day, Yip topped the heats, finishing about seven seconds in front of her nearest competitor, Italy's Arjola Trimi.
"Every race is really something to grow and learn from. This is the year after Paris, so there are three more years before LA, so there's plenty of time to learn and grow, and continue to find the best strategy for what we want to do," she said, referring to last year's Paralympics and the next edition of the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
"It's really, really good that more and more athletes are coming up. There is always competition, but what is nice is also ... seeing the sport grow. At the end of the day, that's what we all want – for the sport to grow and more people to take part in it."
Yip will next compete in the 50m backstroke S2 heats on Friday.
"What really moves me is that it felt like there was the weight of the nation initially, but even with a silver, everybody has been so supportive and so loving," said the swimmer.
"I just am very grateful for that."
