SEA Games 2025: S’pore swimmer Julia Yeo, 14, motivated by whirlwind golden debut
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National swimmer Julia Yeo, 14, being welcomed by her family after returning from the Thailand SEA Games on Dec 16.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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- Julia Yeo, 14, unexpectedly swam in the 4x100m medley relay final after a teammate's injury, helping Singapore win gold with a Games record of 4:05.79.
- Mikkel Lee overcame pre-competition doubts to win four golds, including the 50m and 100m freestyle, setting a personal best of 48.65sec in the 100m.
- Quah Ting Wen became the most decorated athlete in SEA Games history with 65 medals, winning three golds, one silver and one bronze, cherishing the experience.
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SINGAPORE – The past 24 hours have been a blur for Singaporean swimmer Julia Yeo after her surprise appearance in the women’s 4x100m medley relay final at the SEA Games.
The 14-year-old can barely recall the finer details of the night at the Huamark Aquatic Center in Bangkok on Dec 15.
One moment, she was sitting in the stands, cheering on her teammates.
The next, she was told just 20 minutes before the final that she would be swimming the backstroke leg of the relay in place of Levenia Sim, who had suffered a shoulder injury during the warmup.
What followed was a frantic scramble. She pulled on a swimsuit – not even her own – in barely two minutes, throwing on a friend’s parka before heading to the pool.
Before she knew it, she had swum her leg of the relay.
The whirlwind substitution ended in gold, as Julia teamed up with Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen and Letitia Sim to clock a Games record 4min 05.79sec, retaining the title in an event that Singapore have won since 2003.
Looking back on her campaign, the Singapore Sports School student said: “This was my first SEA Games and I missed a medal in the 200m back, so winning a gold medal is very special for me.
“The next SEA Games, definitely win an individual gold medal and hopefully I can break more records and personal bests as well.”
She was speaking to the media at Changi Airport on Dec 16, when the swim team arrived home from Thailand, following their campaign that ended with 19 golds, eight silvers and seven bronzes.
Julia had gone into the meet without setting any expectations in order not to put too much pressure on herself.
The approach paid off.
In another highlight, she set a national record in the women’s 200m backstroke, touching the wall in 2:16.51 to finish fourth and better Tao Li’s 2009 mark of 2:17.12.
She also set a personal best of 1:04.75 in the 100m back final.
Her maiden experience at the biennial Games has given her new-found confidence and the best birthday present as she turns 15 on Dec 27.
She said: “This competition has definitely made me feel more confident in myself because I can do things independently and I can swim a 100m back without warming up.
“I know that I’m mentally prepared and I trained very hard for this.”
Another standout performer was Mikkel Lee, who clinched four golds, including in the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle.
For the 23-year-old, the meet taught him the importance of trusting himself, especially after battling doubts leading into the competition.
A bad training session before flying to Thailand had dented his confidence, but the Indiana University undergraduate credited his support system for staying grounded.
He also drew inspiration from his favourite English Premier League club Arsenal and the song Let It All Work Out by Lil Wayne, which was used in the video announcing Eberechi Eze’s arrival at the club from Crystal Palace.
Mikkel Lee being welcomed with a banner held aloft by his older brother.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The turning point came when he earned a breakthrough in his first event – the 100m freestyle – which he won with a personal best of 48.65 seconds.
He said: “I didn’t have a time in mind and going 48.65 was when I made a big jump from 49.1 – I’ve been there for the last 2½ years.
“It was about putting in the right steps and that day was the day that brought my confidence up for the meet.”
Coming home carried special significance for veteran Ting Wen, who won three golds, one silver and one bronze to take her total tally at the SEA Games to 65.
In the process, she surpassed compatriot Joscelin Yeo’s previous record haul of 62 at the regional meet.
The 33-year-old said: “It’s always nice to come home to the home crowd, friends and family.
“This one feels a bit different because I’m not sure if this edition of the Games might be my last one and so I’m just trying to be present.
“I’m trying to take everything in. When you’re younger and you’re constantly looking up towards the next thing, sometimes I think we forget to appreciate everything.
“Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy being here with my family and friends.”
