More than two decades after his Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold-winning feat in the 4x100m surface relay, national finswimmer Lim Yao Xiang has been making waves in the pool once more as he clinched the 50m apnea gold in 16.11 seconds at the World Championship Finswimming Indoor Masters this year, setting an Asian Masters record and national record in the process.
Updated on Sep 15: Lim broke his personal bests in all four of his individual races (50m apnea, 50m surface, 50m bifin, 100m bifin) at the Finswimming World Cup 2025 in Kaohsiung City, Chinese Taipei. He also rewrote the NR in the 50m apnea (15.90s) and 50m surface (18.07s), the former is still pending WR40+ ratification. The 3:03.07 timing clocked in the 4x100m mixed relay, with teammates Rayen Ong, Dawn Koh, and Vanessa Ong, was also a new national best, eclipsing the previous mark by seven seconds en route to clinching bronze.
Speaking on his longevity and enduring competitive spirit, Lim said, “You have to stay ready for when the opportunity knocks.”
The 42-year-old former educator also took home two silvers (50m surface – 18.65s, 50m bifin – 22.23s) and a bronze in the 200m surface in a time of 1:36.71 which rewrote the Asian Masters record.
In finswimming, athletes compete using specialised equipment such as masks, snorkels and either a monofin or bifins. Surface races require swimmers to stay at the water’s surface with a snorkel, while bifins events use a pair of fins instead of a monofin. Apnea races, meanwhile, are held entirely underwater on a single breath, and immersion races also take place underwater but allow the use of a breathing apparatus.
“I was the only Singaporean”
Arriving on the Greek island of Chios, the ever-competitive Lim had set his sights on the World Masters record despite being “one head shorter than everyone else.”
His triumphant 16.11-second swim in the 50m apnea race saw him pip Colombian Ramirez Sanchez by five hundredths of a second, while Spain’s Carlos Ruiz Martin took bronze in 17.10 sec.
His exploits in the pool did not go unnoticed.
“I am really proud of my achievement because I was the only Singaporean competing here. Many of my rivals had not even heard of Singapore, let alone expected someone from Singapore to win medals. That shocked them a little,” Lim said. “Some of them have been in finswimming since their teens, with over 20 years of experience, so it was nice to have them acknowledge my performance.”
Lim was back on the podium just two months later, this time at the World Aquatics Masters Championships. The former national water polo player, part of Singapore’s dominant SEA Games squad from 2009 to 2013, rolled back the years with a vintage display at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.
Representing Merlion Masters 35+, Lim helped his side to four wins in six matches as they clinched gold.
Having stepped away from the sport for seven years, the right winger was encouraged by former teammates to return and compete on home soil.
“(To see them) still have that passion for the game, still fighting. Obviously, we are not as ferocious as we once were, but that passion remains. We still want to do well, and that reminded us of a lot of the memories from our times in the national team,” said Lim, a three-time SEA Games gold medallist in water polo.
Eternal pursuit of excellence
For Lim, who is the co-owner of a gym with his brother and former national sprinter Lim Yao Peng, preparing for elite competitions at his age has kept his passion for physical training alive.
“I can’t be training the same way I did when I was 20, but that’s where the interest comes in. I love the process of training. I’m always finding new ways and learning new things to coach myself. It’s that passion for learning and discovering that keeps the cycle going.”
As a result, Lim has also found relative success outside of the pool, finishing fourth in his age group at last November’s HYROX Singapore and sixth at August’s HYROX China.
“I am always looking for new ways to push myself, seeing what I can do and testing out different training methods,” he said, adding that plans are in the works to compete at this November’s HYROX race at the Singapore Expo.
Crediting sports for “giving him a sense of identity”, Lim wants his accolades to motivate others similar to him.
“I want them to know that it’s possible. There are many different outlets for us to stay competitive. And within your age group, it’s less competitive.”
And he is living proof. In a week, he will head to Chinese Taipei for the Finswimming World Cup, competing in the open category, no less.
“I looked at the start list and in some events, I’ll be surrounded by swimmers young enough to be my kids,” he said with a laugh.
But Lim remains unfazed.
“For me, it’s about bettering my own timing. The whole point is to improve and to learn from these experiences.”
