SEA Games 2025: Artistic swimmers mark sweet return with dominant duet gold

SEA Games debutante Yvette Chong (left) and veteran Debbie Soh teamed up in the women's duet event, winning gold with a dominant showing. Photo: SportSG/ Dejbordin Limsupanark

It has been eight years since artistic swimming was included on the SEA Games roster. But for Debbie Soh, a mainstay of the national team over that time, that wait was not spent idle. 

Patience gave fruit to a prized medal on Dec 12, when she teamed up with Yvette Chong to win the women’s duet by a country mile. 

The two entered the day with a comfortable lead after a personal best in the technical component (248.2775) a day earlier, then further built on that with a 226.2271 in the free routine. 

Their final tally of 474.5046 put them head and shoulders ahead of the competition.

Host country Thailand’s Voranan Toomchay and Patrawee Chayawararak were a distant second (381.8808), while Indonesian pair of Hilda Tri Julyandra and Talitha Putri Subeni settled for bronze (358.8963). 

Soh, one of the few who competed at the 2017 Games when the sport was last contested, said: “We didn't let (the hiatus) allow us to rest. It allowed us to set our sights further, further than just the South-east Asian level.” 

In the time since, Singapore artistic swimmers have travelled, competed, and achieved across the globe among some of the world’s best in the sport. 

The Singapore pair were already in the lead after the technical component, and built on that further with the free routine. Photo: SportSG/ Dejbordin Limsupanark

The “Warrioress” routine they delivered with precision on Dec 12 at the Assumption University’s Aquatic Centre was the same one performed among the sport's finest at the World Aquatics Championships earlier this year. At the World Cup Super Final, this performance earned Singapore an 8th place. 

Soh said: “It's really (about) how you keep pushing on and keep finding new goals to go towards, not just settling at the South-east Asian level, because in the end, we all want to keep improving, and maybe one day we'll qualify for the Olympics. Who knows?”

That lofty ambition is one reason Soh has continued to put in the miles and hours in the pool, even if it means she is the only artistic swimmer across all teams at the 2025 SEA Games who also featured in 2017. 

She said: “We have always aimed to be top in South-east Asia, so this is really important, as the SEA Games is just one of the milestones. The SEA Games goal is something that is quite important to us as it shows that we are on the right track.” 

Soh credited Chong, her teammate 10 years her junior for keeping things light-hearted when needed. 

Debbie Soh and Yvette Chong sharing a hug at the Assumption University Aquatic Centre on Dec 12. Photo: SportSG/ Dejbordin Limsupanark

“Yvette brings out the younger, more cheerful, less serious side of me,” said the 27-year-old. “I tend to be very serious during training, but she shows me that you can still have fun while having training and still do well.” 

Said Chong: “Debbie is so well-rounded and she's very used to the competitive scene. She tells me to not do anything surprising, so when we train, we train as if we are competing. 

“I learned how to keep calm, how to be mature in situations that are stressful, how to be professional overall.” 

So as far as these new champions are concerned, the job is far from done. Mere minutes after the final scores were tallied, the two were back in the pool, training with the rest of their team for the next day’s team final. 

The women’s team are sitting second after the technical and free components, trailing Thailand, and will compete in the acrobatic on Dec 13. 

Said Chong: “I'm always looking forward to achieving, and something like this (gold) shows that I'm on the right track. I just want to keep on getting new personal bests and doing Singapore proud.” 

The 33rd SEA Games are held in Thailand from 9 to 20 December 2025. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.