Written by: Lydia Ong Edited by: Leung Lok Heng & Choa Zhao Xiang Photos by: EusoffWorks
The eventful afternoon began with the official opening ceremony for IHG featuring Famous Amos, the one and only (and therefore, by default, our favorite) sports director! There’s no better person to be the face of Eusoff as people from all halls gather to celebrate the official start of what is to be (and has been) an exciting season. With the swim events starting soon, anticipation all but settled in the atmosphere. Our swimmers (our pride and joy) could be seen warming up in their swimming costumes, which are, thankfully, not yellow. Just imagine yellow speedos and swim caps – what a tragedy! Luckily for us, Eusoff’s performance today, however, was far from that! In fact, I’d say that things went swimmingly for the team.
For a start, the first event – Male 50m freestyle took place after the captains gave a very rousing speech. It visibly lifted the spirits of the team and steely determination shone in each and every one of their eyes. They were ready to make us proud and prove their worth. Looking lean and mean* on the starting block, Jeremy took the first plunge, and Timo (who was undoubtedly strong and solid*) represented Eusoff in the second set. Both boys put up a valiant fight but were unfortunately outswum towards the end. The competition was tight, and it was a pity that these two alpha doms* lost by a hair.
[*I previously described both of them less than favourably on the telegram live updates (“malnourished child” and “well-fed lad”) so now I am paraphrasing because I give the people what they want!]
Our beloved Sports D Amos cheering on Jeremy and Timo on before their race.
The swim team did not let the L affect them too much, and Crystal, the female captain, clambered onto the starting block for the next event: Female 50m freestyle. Just a moment ago leading the team in a group huddle and then going on to lead the race, Crystal put her best strokes forward, and swam her heart out. Crystals are formed in a cooling process (I googled) and true to her namesake our Crystal is really very cool in action! She may have lost the match, but this captain (unlike the other one?) is a gem!
Swim Captain Crystal is all smiles before her race.
The Male 4x50m freestyle relay was next and for this, we had senior series Tiong and freshie series KaiRui as part of the line up! Wee Teck and Nigel proved themselves swift swimmers all the same, and with their chemistry, the relay was seamlessly carried out. Our boys really made us proud. The only disappointment was that not once did Nigel flick his wet hair back shampoo-ad style – unbelievable.
For the same event, our gals Cat, Anne, Isabelle and Kristie brought home the first W of the day. Despite her name, Cat is not averse to water in the slightest, and together with Anne and Isabelle, maintained the lead over the competition with their stronk strokes! These girls showed strength and cohesion unmatched by any of the other relay teams, and tension was palpable in the air as all of us held our breaths to see if Kristie (freshie series !!!) would secure first place. Quite commendably, Kristie rose up to the occasion and left the other swimmers in the dust! What a win – excellent job, girls!
It was then time for the Mixed 4x50m Breaststroke relay, starring Tee Weck, Brianna, Isabelle and YueHong! For Teck Wee and Isabelle, it was their second event of the day. Both still had one more event ahead of them and at this point, it was of the utmost importance that they paced themselves. Brianna did her part in helping the team level up to their opponents, with swiftness parallel to the rising tide while Yuehong “sexy beast” swim captain was a sight to behold, diving with perfect (italian chef’s kiss) form into the water, bringing Eusoff to the frontlines once again.
Finally, it was time for the Mixed 14x50m Novelty relay. This event was the moment of fame for seven swimmers – Chloe Goh, Chloe Loh, Alicia, Youmin, Jingxin, Damithri and Junhan. For some of them, it was their first swim competition, and they seemed more excited than nervous. It was from this team that I saw with clarity the true oxford definition of dedication. They advanced steadily, never giving up or being distracted by the antics of the opponents (including some dude carrying an umbrella while swimming and another wearing floaties on his ankles, in the neighbouring lanes, nonetheless!) These swimmers fought their hardest and that’s what makes an athlete! It was also in this event that the pool noodle of power made its debut for the season – it’s yellow and represents the unsinkable spirit of Eusoff! It was unforgettably heartwarming to see the seven swimmers bringing the PNP on their laps, never letting it leave their side. I suppose they all brought a little bit of Eusoff along with them in the pool that afternoon ❤
Even though she’s part of the novelty team, Alicia still gave her all during the race.
Soon enough, the (metaphorical) baton of fate was back in Jeremy and Timo’s hands again!! These two ALPHA MALES (as aforementioned) swam wonderfully for the 50m Male Breaststroke* event, overcoming all odds in their way. Special shoutout to Timo because he had EW duty but he was so exhausted he was shaking while filming videos – most of the clips had to be deleted because of the shaky footage, but his effort should still be applauded.
[*I’ve made one too many jokes about this on the Telegram live updates……….it’s definitely not too late to go read them!]
The 50m Female Breaststroke brought us another star swimmer (or…starfish?) this IHG season! Things did not look good for Kexin at the start – she had jumped in just a little later than the others, wary of committing a false start. However, her late start made her final placing even more impressive – because this girl did not swim. She soared – graceful strokes cutting through water and lithe kicks propelling her forward at the speed of a really fast fish! Needless to say, our hearts soared along with her as she easily took the W for Eusoff, and it was truly a privilege of mine to have witnessed this moment.
Tiong, Kai Rui, Kee Wect and Yue Hong – all veterans at this point – formed the relay team for the next event: 4x50m Male Breaststroke relay. Our boys were experienced but not fatigued in the least, despite having participated in events beforehand. For our man Weck Tee (I’ve lost track what’s his name again) this was his third and last event. Absolutely monstrous! Yue Hong showed us how he earned his captaincy with some top-notch swimmin’, but after going neck-to-neck with the competition they ultimately lost. They still put up a good fight – and at one point had snatched the lead from an opponent. Our boys are not here for the uwus, they are here on serious business!
After that, it was the girls’ time to shine in the 4x50m Female breaststroke relay. Cass, Wenjing, Kristie and Isabelle gave us a strong start to finish and their opponents a hard time. They really showed everyone there their fighting spirit and remained unfazed by the fierce competition. It was the third event that the girls had emerged first place and they had really done us proud today – our swim girls are the true alphas and deserved all the success that they had achieved so far! They are seasters through and through!
Last year’s Bash Queen Cass is a talented swimmer as well!
Our hall president Huixin, Alexa, Jiaqi and Kairui took the reins for the next event: Mixed 4x50m freestyle relay. Notably, this was also Kairui’s third event – he was really on the verge of becoming Eusoff’s own Aquaman. As expected, Huixin did not disappoint in the slightest. Holding her own against the mostly male competitors from other halls, which was an amazing feat in itself, she set the pace for the rest of the relay. Alexa and Jiaqi put up an equally stunning fight and Kairui showed no signs of a weakening stamina with his continuously consistent swimming. With 2 year 4’s and 2 freshies, this relay team showed me that the bonds formed through sports are remarkable, and that is why the people we meet in Eusoff will undoubtedly be special to us!! I am!! So wholesome!!
Our Hall President Hui Xin fears no man as she gave the team a good start.
The Mixed 4x50m medley relay was the last event of the day, and all the swimmers gathered around Lane 6 of the pool to cheer Cat, Yue Hong, Tiong and Kristie on for the final lap. As it was a medley relay, all four of them had to do a different stroke – namely backstroke, breaststroke, fly, and free, in the specified order. This event was again a show of extraordinary strength and stamina as it was Cat’s second match, and for all the others, their third. Cat took off with lightning speed. Her sight handicapped in doing backstroke, she stayed laser focused nevertheless. After some self-inflicted spanking YueHong too gave his all, once again proving to us and his competitors that he is not human. Tiong kept our spirits up as he relentlessly advances, inching up on the competition bit by bit – and last but not the least – the rising star of the night, Kristie stepped up to the plate and girl blew it out of the water. It was historical – nobody had ever seen anyone take over the lead with so much ferocity and power. She was later crowned mvp by the swim captains and it goes without saying that Eusoff’s fourth win for swim was secured. On that pinnacle of the night, Eusoff’s swim team concluded an outstanding IHG season, with many of our athletes conquering their personal bests and with bonds that will undeniably weather even the toughest storms.
Final placings: Girls – First Guys – Third Overall – Second
Well done, Swimmers! You have done us proud!
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