Sports

Swimming records expected to tumble at World Aquatics C’ships arena in Singapore

Published

7 months ago

June 16, 2025

SINGAPORE – Fans can expect record-breaking feats at the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Singapore, as event organisers give the media a first look and back-of-house tour of the WCH Arena on June 16.

Built in Carpark G near the Kallang Tennis and Kallang Football Hub, the main attraction of the sheltered, purpose-built facility constructed by Kin Productions is the long-course pool which will host the swimming (July 27-Aug 3) and artistic swimming (July 18-25) events. A warm-up pool with the same dimensions is located in a separate block.

Measuring 50m by 26m with a depth of three metres, the competition pool is notably wider and deeper than the Paris Olympics’ temporary pool at the La Defense Arena, which was one metre narrower and had a depth of 2.15m.

At Paris 2024, there were four new world records and 17 Olympic records. There is a realistic prospect of more record-breaking feats here, as swimmers tend to prefer a deeper pool because the increased depth reduces water turbulence and calmer waters generally result in faster times.

The pool of the newly-constructed WCH Arena, one of the competition venues for the World Aquatics Championships Singapore 2025, pictured on June 16, 2025. — The pool of the newly-constructed WCH Arena.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Foundation work for the WCH Arena began in December 2024, and construction was done from January to May.

With a seating capacity of 4,800, there is a compact feel to the facility, which is about one-third of the size of temporary facilities constructed for recent world championships.

At the 2024 edition in Doha, Qatar, swimming and artistic swimming were hosted inside the 15,500-capacity Aspire Dome, while in 2023 swimming was held at the 15,000-seater Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A – part of the Fukuoka Convention Centre – with average daily attendances ranging from 3,000 to 5,000.

Singapore’s WCH Arena stands out for its red seats and red OSB11 starting blocks, which are the same as those used at Paris 2024.

The seats are positioned at a 32-degree angle, providing spectators with a better viewing experience. This differs from the standard 17-degree angle which is typically adopted for spectator seats at other events in Singapore.

Four 14m by 3m screens above the spectator seating and a 29m by 3m bigger screen on the south wall will display results and replays, with 46m by 1m screens along the length of the pool for sponsors’ logos.

The stands of the newly-constructed WCH Arena, one of the competition venues for the World Aquatics Championships Singapore 2025, pictured on June 16, 2025. — The stands of the newly-constructed WCH Arena.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

The venue will also have a fan zone with interactive activities, merchandise areas, sponsors’ booths, and food and beverage stalls.

At the one-year countdown to the WCH in 2024, Alan Goh, 2025 World Aquatics Championships organising committee co-chairperson and chief executive officer of Sport Singapore, had said that “there are many factors we took into consideration when selecting the venue”.

The 50,000-seater National Stadium was initially mooted as the venue for swimming but in January 2024 it was reported that swimming and artistic swimming could instead be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Six months later, organisers revealed that a temporary facility would be built instead.

Goh said then: “Of course, National Stadium and Indoor Stadium were (involved in discussions) as well. But when we had discussions with World Aquatics, it was clear that the National Stadium with its 50,000 capacity is way over the typical attendance for the event.

“So on balance, and having considered factors such as cost, factors such as downtime of the Indoor Stadium and National Stadium, the decision was best to hold the events in the Aquatic Centre and build a very nice facility in Carpark G.”

The temporary facility could be used as a training or competition venue for local and regional meets before and after the championships, he said.

The Straits Times understands that one consideration is for Singapore Aquatics to use the venue to prepare for competitions such as the 2029 SEA Games held here, while the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex is currently being renovated.

Over 2,500 athletes from more than 190 countries and territories will compete in the six aquatic disciplines at the world championships.

The water polo and diving events will be held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, while Sentosa will host open-water swimming (Palawan Beach) and high diving (Palawan Green).

The June 19-29 Southeast Asia Age Group Aquatics Championships, a youth aquatics competition comprising over 500 athletes from across the region, will serve as a test event for the WCH.

The swimming (June 25-27) and artistic swimming (June 20-22) will be the first competitions held at the WCH Arena, while water polo (June 19-22) and diving (June 27-29) will take place at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.

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Sports

Quinasia Abercrombie Named PBC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week

Published

11 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

AUGUSTA, Ga – Augusta women’s basketball sophomore Quinasia Abercrombia was named PBC Player of the Week

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Player of the Week

Quinasia Abercrombie, Augusta

Sophomore, Guard/ Forward

Averaged 21.50 points as Augusta went 2-0 on the week

Abercrombie scored 26 points while adding 10 rebounds, two assists and four steals in a 91-69 victory over Converse

Scored 17 points while adding four rebounds and two steals in a 53-47 victory over Middle Georgia

Abercrombie is averaging 15.6 points, good for fourth in the conference and 6.8 rebounds, good for ninth in the conference with a .530 field goal percentage which is good for second in the conference.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags

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Walton Named A-10 Player of the Week for Third Time

Published

27 minutes ago

January 6, 2026

Your Sports Nation

WASHINGTON, D.C – Redshirt junior Zahirah Walton has been named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the third time this season for her performance vs. Dayton on December 31.

Walton posted 25 points on 70% shooting, including 10-13 from the free throw line vs. the Flyers on New Years Eve. She scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter to secure the Patriots’ 74-59 victory. Walton also scored four rebounds and dished out four assists.

The Patriots went 2-0 last week, continuing their undefeated streak in conference play, and stretching their overall record to 8-6 on the season.

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Brittnay Estes – Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator – Women’s Volleyball Coaches

Published

4 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Estes enteres her second season with the Wolfpack after being hired as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator in February 2025. Her main focus is working with the middle blockers and running the Pack’s defense.

“Brittnay is the perfect addition to our staff. She comes to us highly-recommended and is a very well-respected coach in the volleyball community. I am excited to add her energy, extreme enthusiasm and competitiveness to our gym,” said Wargo-Kearney. “Brittnay is a great relationship builder and will have the trust of our players, as well as future Wolfpack athletes. I have no doubt her impact on our program will make us stronger and she will continue to put together strong recruiting classes as our recruiting coordinator. I am fired up to welcome her to Raleigh!”

Estes joins the Pack after spending the last four seasons at her alma mater, Lipscomb.

She helped coach the 2023 ASUN Player of the Year, Meg Mersman, to All-American, All-Region honors, in addition to three All-ASUN honors.

In her first season with the Bison in 2020, she helped guide the squad to their seventh ASUN Regular Season Championship and seventh Tournament Championship after the group finished with a 14-2 overall record and 11-1 conference record.

Prior to joining the staff in Nashville, Estes spent five years in Los Angeles, California where she played one season of beach volleyball for Loyola Marymount as a graduate student before playing pro for the Associate of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), the country’s most extensive premiere beach volleyball tour.

A standout outside hitter for the Bison, the Palm Harbor, Florida native was a four year starter and was tabbed the 2015 Conference Player of the Year. During her senior campaign, she was tabbed the ASUN Tournament MVP. She remains in the top-five in the Lipscomb record book for several stats, including kills per set and kills per set in a five set match.

Over the course of her time in Nashville, she collected two All-Conference selections, two All-Tournament team nods, and four Player of the Week honors. She was also a two-time AVCA All-Region honoree. In 2020, she was named to the ASUN All-Decade team.

Estes graduated from Lipscomb in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and New Media. She also earned her master’s degree from Loyola Marymount in Educational Studies.

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This Week in Wake Forest Women’s Athletics – Presented by Truist (Jan. 5-11)

Published

6 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Truist, a longstanding partner of Wake Forest University who is An Official Banking Partner of Wake Forest Athletics and the Presenting Partner of Wake Forest Women’s Athletics brings Deacon Nation this weekly update from the Demon Deacons women’s programs:

Women’s Basketball:
- Wake Forest began the month with a 74-55 victory over Pitt on Jan. 1, as the Demon Deacons shared the ball at an elite rate, assisting on 26 of the 29 made baskets in the win over the Panthers.
- It marked the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Deacs started ACC play at 2-1.
- The Demon Deacons now turn the attention to the California swing, first facing Stanford on Thursday before concluding the trip against Cal on Sunday.

Track & Field:
- The Wake Forest women’s track and field team are set to return to action with three meets during the month of January.
  - The Demon Deacons begin 2026 by competing in the Mondo College Invitational (Jan. 17) at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.
  - The Deacs will then have a dual slate during the final week of the month, with one group heading to Lynchburg, Va. to compete at the Brant Tolsma Invitational (Jan. 30-31), while another group traveling to Boston for the John Thomas Terrier Classic (Jan. 31).

Volleyball:
- Head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer and Demon Deacons volleyball recently announced three additions in middle blocker Catherine Burke, libero Andrea Roman and outside hitter Amina N’Diaye.
  - Burke comes to Wake Forest from Penn State, where she was a member of the Nittany Lions’ 2024 National Championship team. Off the court, she earned a spot on the 2024 Academic All-Big Ten Team.
  - Roman was one of the country’s top defenders this past fall as a junior at Little Rock, finishing second in the NCAA in total digs (632) while being named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year. The Humacao, Puerto Rico, native earned multiple all-OVC honors during her three years with the Trojans.
  - N’Diaye spent her freshman season at Miami, helping the Hurricanes rank as a top-15 team nationally for the majority of the fall en route to making an appearance in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. A key piece of Miami’s core of hitters, she was third on the roster in kills (139) in 27 matches.

About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country, and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $574 billion as of March 31, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.

About Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 59 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN’s seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.

Wake Forest’s comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.

Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.

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Tyler Legacy lands 5 on 6A All-State volleyball team

Published

6 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

LONGVIEW — Five Tyler Legacy volleyball players earned honors on the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State Volleyball Team, the organization announced on Monday.

Taylor Woods and Maddie Goin were honorable mention selections as outside hitters. Mikel Reed and Aubrey Felton earned honorable mention honors at middle blocker. Kate Priest was an honorable mention pick at libero/defensive specialist.

Woods, a Louisiana Tech signee, had 379 kills, 285 digs, 25 blocks, 44 aces, 497 serve/receive receptions and a 2.08 average. Goin had 235 kills, 194 digs, 21 blocks, 300 serve/receive receptions and a 2.04 average. Reed had 124 kills, 52 blocks and 48 digs. Felton had 112 kills, 62 blocks, 13 aces and 41 digs. Priest had 328 digs, 419 serve/receive receptions and a 2.11 average.

The Lady Raiders went 22-10, qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2021 and won a playoff match for the first time since 2007.

Longview’s Triniti Jackson was a third-team pick at setter. Teammates Alyssa Grissom, Jaharia Hunter and Landry Tubb were honorable mention selections at middle blocker, outside hitter and libero/defensive specialist, respectively.

Jackson had 702 assists, 401 kills, 313 digs, 45 blocks and 60 aces. Grissom had 201 kills, 91 blocks, 31 aces and 56 digs. Hunter had 331 kills, 222 digs and 32 blocks. Tubb had 628 digs, 28 aces and 42 assists.

State champions Byron Nelson (Division I) and Southlake Carroll (Division II) earned the top superlatives in voting. Byron Nelson’s Sophee Peterson was named Player of the Year in Class 6A, and Leslie Jackson of Southlake Carroll earned Coach of the Year honors.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and TSWA members from around the state.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Leslie Jackson, Southlake Carroll

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sophee Peterson, Byron Nelson

FIRST TEAM

Middle Blockers: Kinsley Young, Southlake Carroll; Camille Presley, Austin; Kerington Thornton, Round Rock

Outside Hitters: Layla Austin, Southlake Carroll; Avery Koonsen, Pearland Dawson; Marlee Lightsey, Comal Canyon

Setter: Sophee Peterson, Byron Nelson

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Jenna Thedford, Pearland Dawson

SECOND TEAM

Middle Blockers: Taliah Angwekwe, Stony Point; Callie Funk, Katy Tompkins; Keaton Points, Pearland Dawson

Outside Hitters: Kylie Kleckner, Byron Nelson; Riley Malloy, Austin; Saniya Reynolds, Cy Ranch

Setter: Logan Sanders, Comal Canyon

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Taylor Wright, Copperas Cove

THIRD TEAM

Middle Blockers: Ryea Jackson, Duncanville; (tie) Madyson Carr, Cy Ranch; (tie) Micah Rusher, Oak Ridge

Outside Hitters: Kylie Rodriguez, Forney; Ashley Seay, Byron Nelson; Jaylyn Tuiasosopo, O’Connor

Setter: (tie) Triniti Jackson, Longview; Audrey Cook, Stratford

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Emerson Chang, Manvel

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle Blockers: Carinne Bouie, Goose Creek Memorial; Mikel Reed, Tyler Legacy; Aubrey Felton, Tyler Legacy; Khadijah Blue, Cibolo Steele; Mia Carrasco, Eastlake; Alyssa Grissom, Longview; Carolina Elizondo, Laredo Alexander; Jocelyn Joyner, O’Connor

Outside Hitters: Jaharia Hunter, Longview; Taylor Woods, Tyler Legacy; Nevah English, Manvel; Karina Deylen Mendivil, James Madison; Sloane Ranney, Pearland Dawson; Simone Heard, Plano East; Giselle Gandara, Eastlake; Leila Ceaser, Oak Ridge; Jasmyn Walker, Manvel; Peyton Smith, Duncanville; Maddie Goin, Tyler Legacy; Elisa St. Rose, Katy Thompson; Halle Thompson, Grand Oaks; Gwen Koss, Stafford; Mary-Christine Crutcher, Mansfield

Setter: Olivia Pena, O’Connor; Maggie McCarroll, Austin; Tinsley Welker, Fort Bend Austin; London King, Manvel

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Kaylee Parker, Cy Ranch; Landry Tubb, Longview; Isabella Cordaway-Dreier, Round Rock; Lainey Monroe, Katy Tompkins; Kate Priest, Tyler Legacy

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HPISD Board of Trustees Honors Volleyball Team

Published

6 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The Highland Park ISD board of trustees recognized the district’s history-making volleyball team at its Dec. 16 meeting.

Head coach Michael Dearman called the Class 5A Division I state champions “a very special team.”

“We, of course, were chock full of talent. You’re looking at several All Americans here. But that’s not the real story about this team. The real story about this team is about closeness, and the family, and the trust that we had with one another,” he said. “They played for each other. It was an amazing, amazing experience.”

Dearman recognized each Lady Scot and the team’s coaches individually.

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