Wonderful times at the 2025 World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore
Reporty by Anne Smyth, Coaching Director & Caz Makin, Publicity Officer
The 2025 World Aquatics Masters Championships were held in Singapore, 7-14 August 2025.
Tuggeranong Masters had four swimmers representing our club: Jeanette Droop, Caz Makin, Elizabeth Merenda, and Anne Smyth.
We also had two of our Canberra-based second claim members, Petrina Quinn and Chris Campbell, swimming for their first claim clubs. In addition, Julianne Crowley, who swims with us on Sunday nights, was part of the large Australian contingent attending the Championships.
It was a wonderful event to be part of, with swimmers coming from around the world. While we witnessed exceptional swimming, the event was very inclusive and friendly. The call room and warm-up pool were full of chatter with people mixing and taking photos.
The four swimmers representing our club provided some personal reflections:
Jeanette Droop: Terrific company (Anne, Caz and Rodney), watching great swimming, meeting new people, lots of interesting places to visit, travelling on the MRT, varied architecture and food and a load of walking which resulted in a few blisters and Nanny Naps in the afternoons. Exploring the place was fun - I almost got used to the crowds! Rod and I played Pickleball on a rooftop at one of the universities - I do not recommend playing in the middle of the day - it was bloody hot but lots of fun! I was very happy with my swimming results in my 60-64 age group, as I bettered my entry times in four of my five swims: the 800m Freestyle by 16 seconds and 200m Freestyle by 6 seconds. The 200m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly were faster by less than 1 second - I think I have bragging power for these swims! The 100m freestyle was a disappointment as I was surprised by the wall and did a touch turn, something I have not done for decades in a competition.
Caz Makin: This was my third World Championships, and they are always so much fun! Disappointingly, my race plans from all the hard training this year were rudely disrupted by sickness. In my 55-59 age group, In the 100m Freestyle, I managed a decent enough swim but the next day in the 200m Freestyle, the sickness really impacted the 2nd half of my race. I withdraw from the 200m Individual Medley after a visit to doctor confirmed an upper respiratory chest infection and laryngitis. I decided to attempt the 100m Backstroke - the wheezing and shortness of breath, even at a much reduced effort level felt horrific but I did finish! The next day, I swam my own personal ‘challenge’ in the outside lane 9 in the 400m Freestyle at a conservative pace and controlling the breathing to finish in a time that wasn’t too demoralising. On the upside, the event was exceptionally well run and I met old friends and new friends from around the globe and still managed a significant amount of sightseeing and socialising and beer! Singapore is a fabulous place to visit - amazing food, and so clean and easy to get around - I highly recommend a trip there.
Elizabeth Merenda: This is the first World Championships I have attended. It was inspiring to see people coming from all over the globe to do something we all love together. Watching women swim and enjoy life who were well into their 90th decade was uplifting. I appreciated going with a group of Viking friends who were experienced and knew how the meet ran and what to expect. The standard of competition was high, and I was fortunate to do some of my best times in Singapore. I enjoyed the opportunity to race alongside women in my own age group. I set two NSW records - in the 100m Freestyle and 50m Freestyle, as well as a silver medal in the 50m, a National Record in the 200m Individual Medley, and a silver medal, plus top ten finishes in my other three events in my 45-40 age group. It was a wonderful experience that I can highly recommend participating in if the opportunity arises.
Anne Smyth: I enjoyed every minute of the event, wearing my Australian gear and swimming at a world-class facility. I was delighted to come away with four top ten placings in my 65-69 age group. I placed fifth in the 800m Freestyle, tying with my longtime swimming friend, Donna Gadsby from Mornington Penninsula. Other placings were: sixth in the 400m Individual Medley, seventh in the 200m and 400m Freestyle and eleventh in the 200m Butterfly. I loved Singapore and a highlight was a Chinatown food tour with Caz and Jeanette. The World Championships was a fabulous event, and I am keen to do more
