Singapore’s top swimmer Letitia Sim announces shock retirement

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s top breaststroke swimmer Letitia Sim has retired from competitive sport, Singapore Aquatics (SAQ) announced on social media on May 22.

Just five months ago, the 23-year-old enjoyed a standout campaign at the SEA Games in Thailand, where she became the first swimmer to complete a hat-trick of breaststroke titles at the regional meet after sweeping the 50m, 100m and 200m crowns in Games records.

She also added golds in the 200m individual medley (IM) and women’s 4x100m medley relay, setting meet records in both events.

In a statement, Sim said: “I am grateful for my time with Singapore Aquatics and for all of the opportunities and support they have provided me over the past few years.

“While I am proud of my accomplishments in the pool, I am even more thankful for the relationships, experiences and memories created both in and out of the water that have shaped me into the person I am today.”

Noting that it was not an easy decision, she said it was the right path as she looks to pursue a career outside of swimming.

“I will forever be thankful for this chapter of my life, but I am excited for the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead,” added Sim, who recently graduated from the University of Michigan.

Born in Singapore but raised in the US, Sim first represented the Republic internationally at the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022.

The breaststroke specialist quickly made her mark, winning three golds, a silver and a bronze in Vietnam.

She continued to establish herself on the regional stage, claiming four golds at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

That same year, she endured heartbreak as she narrowly missed out on a medal twice at the Hangzhou Asian Games after placing fourth in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, falling short by just 0.12 seconds in the former.

Sim then made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games, where she was part of Singapore’s first women’s relay team to compete at the quadrennial showpiece in the 4x100m medley relay.

She also competed in the 100m and 200m breast events in France.

Sim currently holds four individual national records – the 50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke and the 200m IM – as well as the women’s 4x100m medley relay mark.

She also owns four short-course records in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, as well as the 100m and 200m IM.

National swimming head coach Gary Tan said: “As sad as we are with this retirement, especially losing a key member of the team, we are also optimistic for what is to come with the future generation.”

He cited Mikayla Tan, who broke three girls’ Under-17 national records (50m and 200m breaststroke, and 200m IM) at the 2026 TYR Pro Swim Series in Sacramento this week, as an example.

Her 200m IM time of 2min 14.92sec was also below the Asian Games ‘A’ cut of 2:15.01.

Tan added that SAQ has always worked on its continued plan to ensure more swimmers come through the pipeline, whether via clubs, national training centres or Singapore Sports School programmes.

Hailing Sim’s contributions to the team and Singapore, he said: “She is a valuable member of the national team and it’s been a privilege to watch her grow as an athlete and a person.

“We want to thank her for her contributions to the sport and we wish her the best in the next chapter of her life.”

Former national swimmer Ang Peng Siong said it was thrilling to see someone like Sim come through the programme and deliver “sterling performances” that have added to Singapore’s longstanding regional success in swimming.

The two-time Olympian hopes Sim’s achievements inspire the next generation of swimmers.

He suggested that she can still be engaged in other capacities such as running national camps for local breaststroke swimmers while using the platform to share her experience as an “outstanding athlete”.

“This is definitely a good way to close the gap and motivate our younger swimmers to step up,” said Ang, the 100m freestyle gold medallist at the 1982 Asian Games in India.

“There is so much that we can do to engage the national swimmers who have made significant breakthroughs to share and give back.”

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo also paid tribute to Sim as he recalled witnessing her accomplishments up close at the 2025 SEA Games.

In a Facebook post, he wrote: “As she retires from competitive swimming, thank you Letitia for representing Singapore with pride and inspiring many through her journey.”