Swimmers SNAG Glory at National Championships

Swimming: 56th Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships 2026 (Seniors)


A total of 40 Sports School swimmers, including 5 training at NTC@SSP, stormed into the 56th Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships (Seniors) at the OCBC Aquatic Centre from 17 to 22 March 2026 and made a splash. Rising to the challenge against some of the nation’s fiercest competition, the team delivered a powerful performance, amassing an outstanding 58 medals (16 gold, 19 silver and 23 bronze).

At the heart of this remarkable campaign was 15-year-old swimming star Julia Yeo Shu Ning, who produced a sensational swim in the Women’s 200m Backstroke, smashing her own National Record — which she had set only months earlier at the SEA Games — with a dazzling new time of 2:15.03. She also surged to victory in the 50m Backstroke in 29.86s, and her dominance throughout the meet earned her the title of Most Valuable Swimmer for the Women’s 15–17 category. She finished the championships with a stunning personal haul of 5 golds and 1 silver, as she continues her pursuit of the Asian Games qualifying marks.

“I’m happy with my race today because I think I executed it quite well, even though I have a lot of things to improve on. I’ll go back to training with my coach to try to fine-tune all the skills, like my underwaters. I was actually aiming for the Asian Games B-cut, which is 2:14.39, and I think this national record just came along with the swim and I guess I’m pleasantly surprised,” shared the Secondary 4 student-athlete in her interview with The Straits Times.

The success of the meet, however, was far more than one swimmer’s story. Vivienne Chew En emerged as the team’s most prolific medallist, collecting an exceptional 7 medals (2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze). Joy Neo Ning Suan added to the golden tally with 2 golds and 1 silver, while the younger Secondary 2 swimmers showed tremendous poise and promise. Ian James Kwek captured 1 gold and 2 silvers, while Macayla Xia impressed with 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze. Valuable gold-medal contributions also came from Kayley Goh, who won 1 gold and 2 bronze, and Brandon Yap Yan Xi, who clinched 1 gold.

Beyond medals, our student-athletes also brought home valuable lessons. Secondary 2 swimmer Macayla shared: “SNAG plays an important role in educating and encouraging us swimmers to race and adapt in any situation. Whether it’s back-to-back events or just complex emotions like anxiety, we learn to strive for the best, even if it means going through tough times. With cheers and encouragement from our coaches, friends and families, they pushed us on, and thankfully, we made it.”