In sync and ready, artistic swimmers Yvette Chong and Debbie Soh look forward to Asian Games outing

SINGAPORE – When national artistic swimmers Debbie Soh and Yvette Chong began their duet partnership in November 2023, they could not agree on anything.

They disagreed not only on elements of their routine but also on trivial matters, like who used the hotel room toilet first when they were overseas.

“We were brought up in very different eras of the sport so our fundamentals and the basics in technique were very different, so it took us some time to come to a middle ground,” said Soh, who is 10 years older than Chong.

With time, however, they realised they had a good chance of succeeding together and managed to figure out a way to make the partnership work.

Their partnership has flourished since, with the pair winning the combined duet event gold at the 2025 SEA Games.

In 2026, they also recorded personal bests in the women’s duet free (245.8455 points) and duet technical (251.8791) events.

Soh, 28, said: “Over time, after spending a lot of time with each other, we started to learn and adapt to each other. Sometimes, we just look at each other and say the same thing.

“We hang out a lot and even when we share a room when we go overseas, we’re always listening to music together or chatting about the most random things, so our partnership and we as people have also grown a lot.”

They were speaking on the sidelines of the Singapore Sports School’s (SSP) Asiad send-off ceremony on Aug 31, which was graced by Asian Games chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan.

A record 74 past and present student-athletes from SSP are part of Singapore’s 304-strong contingent at the Sept 19 to Oct 4 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

While their age difference initially took some getting used to, they have come to appreciate the different experiences each brings to the partnership.

“Debbie has gone to many more competitions than I have, so she knows how to handle competition pressure and stress,” said Chong, 18, who is pursuing a business diploma jointly offered by Republic Polytechnic (RP) and SSP.

“I’ve also learnt a lot of useful tips from her, so when I’m in situations and I tell her, she can give me a different approach that I wouldn’t have thought of at my age.”

On the other hand, Chong has also helped Soh adopt a more relaxed mindset.

Soh said: “Sometimes I tend to get too serious or stressed out, but Yvette is more youthful and playful so she has introduced an element of fun to training and competition, which kind of damp down my pursuit of excellence, so I appreciate that.”

This will be the pair’s first stint in the duet event at the Asiad.

Chong made her Asian Games debut at the Hangzhou edition three years ago, when she was part of the team that finished fifth, while this will be Soh’s third appearance at the continental event.

At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Soh partnered Rachel Thean in the women’s duet and finished seventh, before coming in fifth with Miya Yong in 2023.

Chong said: “I feel very excited to be going to the Asian Games because this is my first Asian Games in the duet event, so it’s very special and I want to give it my best and leave with no regrets.”

Also among the SSP athletes headed to Japan is artistic gymnast Amanda Yap, who claimed a balance beam silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July.

The 16-year-old’s feat in Scotland made her only the fourth Singaporean gymnast to win a medal at the quadrennial event, which has given her even more confidence.

“I felt the Commonwealth Games were a really big turning point for me,” said Amanda, who is also completing a business diploma jointly offered by the SSP and RP.

“It was quite an eye-opener, especially competing alongside so many other good gymnasts and just being able to put Singapore on the world map was quite a big thing for me.”

Her achievements, including a historic qualification for the balance beam final at the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, have put her in the spotlight.

Grateful for the support she has received, especially from aspiring gymnasts, the teenager said: “There’ve been quite a few young gymnasts who come up to me and are quite shy but they just want to say congrats and stuff like that, which makes me really happy and it gives me a lot of energy.”

As she prepares to make her Asiad debut, she will be tapping her experiences from various international competitions, which have taught her to adapt to different environment and countries.

She said: “I just want to go out there with my team and try to do well for myself and also everyone in Singapore.

“I’m hoping to just make a final, and hopefully it will go well.”

Addressing the athletes at the ceremony, SSP principal Ong Kim Soon said: “Thank you for showing us what can be achieved through dedication, perseverance and courage.

“Your achievements inspire the nation and all the young athletes among us here today. 

“When you go for the Games, treasure the experience, compete with confidence and give your very best.”