Precision-built high diving and open water venues at Sentosa ready for World Aquatics C'ships
July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) .
At Palawan Green on July 7, the organisers gave the media a tour of the high diving and open water swimming facilities, which had passers-by whispering in awe and curiosity.
As befitting of a daredevil sport which requires male athletes to hurl themselves off a 27m platform and female competitors to take a plunge from 20m before entering a 6m-deep cylindrical pool at speeds of up to 85kmh, the temporary high diving structure required precision engineering from its makers.
Six metres from the ground, the giant pool with a 17m diameter opens at a deck that accommodates about 600 spectators when the high diving competition takes place from July 24 to 27.
Marcus Ng, project director of Innovez Engineering – the firm behind the pool's construction – shared that 108 curved steel panels, weighing a total of 21 tonnes, were held together by 6,400 bolts using a digital torque wrench to form the cylindrical pool.
The plates were assembled upwards one metre at a time, as the pool is gradually filled and stress-tested to ensure the water pressure does not affect the integrity of the structure.
Ng, a national water polo player from 2001 to 2006, said: 'Other high diving pools are also of this shape. Instead of a rectangular pool, a circular shape is the most effective and efficient in terms of structure and material, and for us to build and tear it down fast.
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'Every steel panel had to be exactly the same, because if one panel is off, the whole pool would fail. We also have to ensure the bolts are not screwed on too tight that the panels would crack, or too loose such that there would be leaks. And of course, we have to make sure the water is crystal clear, well balanced and clean for the divers.'
Just a stone's throw away is the open water swimming venue, where a 1,500 sq m pontoon has been set up for seven lung-busting events from July 15 to 20.
The pontoon for the open water diving events at the World Aquatics Championships in Sentosa.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Athletes will make six loops round the 1.66km course for the men and women's 10km races and three laps for the 5km races.
The course will be reconfigured to 1.5km, 1km and 500m loops for the men's and women's 3km sprint knockout races, while there is also a 4x1.5km team event.
Palawan Green will also host the July 26-27 open water swimming events for the World Aquatics Masters Championships from July 26 to Aug 22.
Kenza Brouwer, assistant venue manager for Sentosa Island events at the WCH and course officer for open water swimming, said: 'In preparation for the competition, we have been closely monitoring the water conditions, including water quality tests for bacteria and water temperature.
'We want to make sure that the athletes are swimming in a safe environment. Of course, it's open water swimming, and there's only so much we can control, but we will do our best to ensure the athletes' safety. We will have contingency plans in place for all wet weather scenarios.'
Mark Chay, co-chairman of the WCH Singapore 2025 organising committee, thanked the various stakeholders and government agencies for helping to get all the venues ready, with the OCBC Aquatic Centre welcoming the water polo (July 11-24) and diving (July 26-Aug 3) competitions, and the WCH Arena set to host the artistic swimming (July 18-25) and swimming (July 27-Aug 3) events.
Adding that the venues will continue to be monitored and improved throughout, he said: 'We will get feedback and work on it, and we expect to touch up all the way even during the events to make sure it's a great experience for everyone.
'There are very few events bigger than this, but these will put us in good stead to host more international events. We hope to groom the next generation of athletes and also Singaporeans who are able to host such events.'
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