Day nine of the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 was another action-packed day of competition.
History was made as open water swimming staged the Men's and Women's 3km Knockout Sprint event for the first time at the World Aquatics Championships. Artistic swimming delivered standout performances in the Team Free Preliminaries and Solo Technical Finals, while the Women’s tournament in water polo saw fierce battles as teams fought for a place in the semifinals.
Here is what the athletes said about their performances!
Open Water Swimming
Florian WELLBROCK (GER) – Gold in the Men’s 3km knockout race
On a third gold medal at Singapore 2025:
“I have no idea how I did it. But I like knockout races, it’s so nice because you can feel that every lap is faster. David and me, our finish was incredible. He told me before the start, let’s go for gold and silver, and we did it."
David BETLEHEM (HUN) – Silver in the Men’s 3km knockout race
On the new 3km event format:
“I hope this format is going to be in the Olympics in 2032. If yes, maybe I’m going to come back. At 28, I’m going to retire but I will come back if this event is in the Olympics.”
Marc-Antoine OLIVIER (FRA) – Bronze in the Men’s 3km knockout race
On what the medal means to him:
“It’s very important and means a lot to me now because I am a dad. My wife gave birth to our baby 10 days before the start of this event. It's very emotionally difficult to come here [to Singapore] as I can’t see my wife and the baby back in France. But my job is to swim and win medals, and I did my job today.”
Ichika KAJIMOTO (JPN) – Gold in the Women’s 3km knockout race
On her final moments of the race:
“I lost my cap and I could not see my peripherals, but I just tried my hardest and fastest. It was a very good result.”
On how important this victory is for Japan:
“In Japan, open water is a lesser-known sport but this time I was able to achieve eighth place in the 10km, third place in the 5km and now champion in the 3km knockout. Now more people (in Japan) are aware of open water swimming. This is very important to both me and the Japan Swimming Federation.“
Ginevra TADDEUCI (ITA) – Silver in the Women’s 3km knockout race
On the conditions:
“I love warm water and for me, it’s the perfect conditions.”
Bettina FABIAN (HUN) – Bronze in the Women’s 3km knockout race
On how much the medal means:
“It was a very important thing for me. It’s my first ever World Championships medal, so I’m very happy. I’ve been through an injury in the past two months. I wasn’t going to this World Championships in the first place because it was so bad. Every practice hurt, and it didn’t get better. I’m just so happy that I didn’t give up and I’m able to stand on the podium with the best swimmers of all-time. I’m just so thankful for everyone.”
Water Polo
Shakira JANUARY (RSA) – re. SGP v RSA (4-8)
On representation:
“The biggest thing for us is also just the little kids at home. Obviously, we know we're not coming here to win, but it's for that thought that maybe in a few years time, we can start that building, that maybe the kids now in South Africa, they'll come to this tournament with a completely different focus and completely different goals of maybe placing in the higher pools or higher placements. What's pushing us is that drive of being better and being able to compete. Even though we’re losing against some of those top teams, our goal is always to lower that difference every single time.”
Abielle YEO (SGP), captain – re. SGP v RSA (4-8)
On their overall performance at the World Aquatics Championships:
“Overall, even though the result is not what we hoped for, I'd say that the team actually did pretty well. For our performance today, our team definitely put up a very, very good fight. We managed to halve the number of goals that they scored against us. There's a lot of things that we can be happy about.”
Maria MYRIOKEFALITAKI (GRE), Player of the Match – re. AUS v GRE (7-8)
On her emotions after scoring the winning goal:
“I was so emotional. This goal, I think somebody from heaven helped to make it go in. This is where I want to dedicate this goal. Before the World Championships, I lost a very special person for me. That’s why I got so emotional after that goal…It was my aunt [that I lost], and I was really sad. But this is how life works. We have to keep pushing and continue. I dedicate this goal to her. It was a little bit of help from heaven.”
Artistic Swimming
Dennis GONZALEZ BONEU (ESP) – Silver in Men’s Solo Technical Final
On the challenge of this event:
“It’s difficult because all the time, you are alone in the pool and you try to show your best version when you are alone. This year, I try to work for the elements. I didn’t have the highest difficulty, but I think the execution in the elements was better than the other times I did it, and I’m so happy for that.”
Diego VILLALOBOS CARRILLO (MEX) - Bronze in Men’s Solo Technical Final
On the Mexican artistic swimming team:
“We’re not a team – we’re a family. We’re so united and we’re always together. My team partners are my sisters. It feels very nice to perform with them. It’s an advantage for us because we feel like family. When you feel like that, the work is easier.”
XU Huiyan (CHN) – Gold in the Women’s Solo Technical Final
On the result:
“I feel good about how today went. It feels pretty emotional, because something I hoped for but hadn’t dared to think about before is now a reality before me.”
Chloe PLAUT (CHI) – re. Open Team Free Preliminaries
On the result:
“It’s the first time Chile has made the World Championships final in Team Free. It’s very exciting especially since we’re a very young team, we’re a junior team. It’s a very good achievement.”