Latest news with #RachelThean
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Australia's Zoe Pulis aims to raise interest in artistic swimming with stunning routines on social media
Australian artistic swimmer Zoe Poulis has amassed a following of over 150,000 on Instagram by showcasing her sport in unique ways. SINGAPORE – A glance at Zoe Poulis' Instagram page offers a window into her love for water. The artistic swimmer not only shares her routines in the pool, but also showcases her creativity in unique ways. In one video, she moves gracefully against the stunning backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, while in another, she defies gravity by 'walking' on the surface of the water with a luggage in tow. What started out as a fun hobby has turned into a bigger mission to raise awareness about her sport as her videos have gained traction, with the 19-year-old amassing a following of over 150,000 on the social media platform. 'All I was doing at the time was swimming, posting a bunch of different artistic swimming videos, underwater videos,' said Poulis, after completing her routine in the preliminary round of the women's solo technical event at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) on July 18. 'I find that interesting, all the questions that people ask turned into trying to shine a spotlight on artistic swimming for sure, especially in Australia.' In the first event of the 2025 world championships to be held at the newly built WCH Arena, Poulis missed out on the women's solo technical final after placing 19th with 220.3541. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore Who is UNC3886, the group that attacked Singapore's critical information infrastructure? 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Singaporean artistic swimmer Rachel Thean competing in the women's solo technical event at the World Aquatics Championships on July 18. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO As her presence on social media grows, Poulis also enjoys interacting with followers who are keen to find out about the intricacies of artistic swimming. She said: 'I hope people can really see the effort that goes behind that – we train countless hours, six, seven days a week, seven hours in the pool. So much work goes into these two-minute routines and every single second of the routine matters, everything counts.' Her content has led to meaningful interactions. One standout moment for Poulis came at the Australian Artistic Swimming National Championships in April, when she crossed paths with aspiring athletes, reminding her of her early days in the sport. From competing in her first solo routine at seven, Poulis has come a long way, recording top-10 finishes in the team free events at the 2023 and 2024 world championships. She also made her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, where Australia placed ninth. She said: 'That was the most passionate I've felt so far about the sport in the sense that we were competing in front of all these younger generations of girls and boys. 'They follow what we do online and connecting with them more, interacting with them so much at nationals was a huge thing for me and it really took me back to when I was first starting out and looking up at the girls that were older than me on the Olympic teams.' In the women's duet technical preliminary round, Austria's Anna-Maria Alexandri and her sister Eirini-Marina, who are part of a triplet, topped the 39-pair standings after scoring 305.1684. Their sister Vasiliki, the oldest of the triplets, also competed on the same day, finishing fourth in the solo technical event with 250.9533. In the duet technical, Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina were followed by Chinese twins Lin Yanhan and Lin Yanjun (301.0933) and neutral athletes Mayya Doroshko and Tatiana Gayday (297.0033). Singapore's Debbie Soh and Yvette Chong came in 17th with a personal best of 243.6826. Singaporean artistic swimmers Yvette Chong (left) and Debbie Soh competing in the women's duet technical event at the World Aquatics Championships on July 18. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Soh, who is competing at her eighth world championships, said the pair received a boost before competing after their coach told them that judges and technical controllers have seen a big improvement in their performances over the last few years. The 27-year-old said: 'We made some mistakes that we could see even under water. But we'll continue working – it's only our second year working together and I think it's quite promising.' Yvette, 17, was pleased with the personal best. She said: 'It shows that all the hard work we've put in has paid off. It's even more special because it's on home ground.'
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Every detail counts as S'pore artistic swimmers eye top-10 spots at World Aquatics Championships
SINGAPORE – For artistic swimmers, the competition day begins long before they step onto the pool deck. Hours of preparation go into perfecting every detail, from hairstyling to make-up, before their routines. National artistic swimmer Debbie Soh recalls that the earliest she has had to wake up for a competition was about 4am, which was about two to three hours before her event. While the process varies for each athlete, teammate Rachel Thean begins by tying her hair into a tight ponytail, braiding it and then forming a bun. Then she mixes boiling water with gelatin, which a teammate helps to apply to ensure her hair stays in place during the routine and letting it harden. The process is completed by pinning a headpiece and applying waterproof make-up, including foundation, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow, lipstick, and using setting spray to keep everything secure. Preparation time varies depending on the event: solo swimmers may need as little as 45 minutes, duets take slightly longer, and team routines with up to eight swimmers can require 1½ to two hours. Once ready, the swimmers proceed to warm up for between 1 and 1½ hours. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Singapore $7,000 fine for eatery chain involved in ByteDance food poisoning case Singapore Bicycle wheel-inspired care model used to improve trauma outcomes in central S'pore Life 11 new entries on Singapore's Bib Gourmand list, including three re-entries at Old Airport Road Singapore NEA monitoring E. coli at Sentosa beaches after elevated bacteria levels delay World Aquatics events Singapore 15 under police probe for sharing Singpass credentials used in scams The tiny details matter in artistic swimming, which blends performance and athleticism. Thean said: 'For now, the costumes and make-up kind of factor into your artistic impression score. 'Previously it wasn't considered but now it kind of helps with the theme of the routine, so in a way, if your head piece suddenly flaps off or if there's hair covering your face, it will affect the overall artistic impression because it's supposed to be a performance and it's seen as though you didn't manage it well.' National artistic swimmer Rachel Thean (right) applies gelatin to teammate Debbie Soh's hair. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR They have also spent hours in training – up to 60 a week – to refine those details ahead of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Singapore. They also travelled to World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup events in Europe, Egypt, Canada and China, testing combinations and selecting team members for specific events. The stints have been crucial in preparing the athletes for the unexpected. Soh recounts an incident in Egypt where a sandstorm with 60 kmh winds caused delays and led to the cancellations of music rehearsals, as umbrellas and chairs were blown into the outdoor pool, leaving a thick layer of sand at the bottom. Noting that much of the sport is 'very mental', she said: 'For example if you make a mistake, you cannot let it affect you because you forget the rest of the routine then it's done for, especially with the new scoring system.' For the hosts, their expectations are higher as the athletes stress that it is not only about participation. Thean is aiming to reach the top 10 in the solo events, with the top 12 advancing to the final. The last time a Singaporean reached a final at the world championships was in 2011, when they placed 12th in the free routine combination. Soh, who claimed an overall bronze at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final in Xi'an, China, with Yvette Chong and Kiera Lee in June, is targeting top-10 finishes in both duet and team categories, while also striving for personal best scores. To help achieve her goal, Thean completed her undergraduate studies at the Singapore Management University in December 2024 – seven months ahead of her graduation. Noting that other competitors clock eight to nine hours of training daily, she said: 'I'm not saying that it's quantity over quality, but naturally, when you put in more hours and get more repetitions, the chances of doing better increase.' Beyond personal achievements, the swimmers also hope that the World Championships will raise awareness of the sport in Singapore. Soh, who has been in the sport for 19 years, has witnessed many talented individuals leave before reaching their full potential – many quit to focus on their education and careers owing to the lack of sufficient support to incentivise athletes to pursue sport full time. 'It's difficult to get people inspired and passionate enough to want to stay for a long time so hopefully with more exposure to the sport, more locals will join,' said the 27-year-old, who also hopes the world meet will inspire more men to take up the sport. Sharing similar concerns, Thean noted that although the sport has grown recently, participation remains low compared to more mainstream sports such as swimming and gymnastics. She added: 'Now that world champs is on our home ground and there are many road shows, I hope that more Singaporeans can get a better understanding of the sport and we can also increase participation.'
