By Gregory Ng (27S05A) and Janelle See Jia Xin (27A01D)

Photos courtesy of Orlando Khoo (27S06F) and Cheng Yu Han (27S05A) from Raffles Art and Photographic Society, Seira Yang (26S03B) and Julia Chiyo Taguchi (27A01C)

With six short whistle blows, they prepared to mount the board. With a long whistle blow, they donned their goggles and prepared for launch with poise. 

Silence.

Then, with the blast of the horn, they dived into the water with grace, slicing through the water with ease to victory, with the cheers of “Let’s Go Raffles, Let’s Go” reverberating throughout the hall. 

At the National School Games 2026, RI’s swim team clinched two golds, two silvers, and four bronzes, including two sweeps in the 100m Butterfly. While the team narrowly missed 1st place finish by just one point, they still put up a hard fight. As such, as we celebrate the team’s achievement, let us acknowledge the toil and sweat that they have put into this year’s race.

Highlights 

Overall

Girls 2nd

Boys 2nd

The Final Lap 

The captains reflected on the meet with a mix of pride and disappointment, especially because it was their last year in the sport. It was indeed bittersweet to end their journeys on this note, but despite the results, it was really showing up and giving their all that mattered most. 

To them, the outcome was never just about the standings, but the people they surrounded themselves with: their fellow swimmers who trained together from as early as 5.30am in the morning to as late as 8pm at night, 7 days a week. 

In fact, the three captains interviewed, Victoria Koh (26S03I), Julian Lee (26S03N) and Seira Yang (26S03B) all swam together in the same club since they were seven years old. While Julian was at Raffles Institution from Years 1-6, Victoria and Seira’s friendship stretched all the way back to Methodist Girls’ School, where they grew together to eventually join Raffles Institution via DSA (Direct School Admission).

“I think our friendship will not end here and we’ll be friends for the next 10, 20 years and beyond.”

Seira Yang, 26S03B

“It’s really amazing how we’ve known each other growing up, swimming in this community, and somehow a full-circle moment: we end up in the same school in RI.”

Julian Lee, 26S03N

When asked if competing against one another strained the team’s dynamics, the captains were quick to disagree. Instead, the shared mission of representing RI united the team, where personal wins were seen as collective victories for the school. While a healthy, friendly rivalry existed, the team’s bond was forged in small, everyday moments of support. This “school-first” mentality was most evident in the butterfly events; because many swimmers shared similar strengths, some selflessly opted out of certain races to strategically maximize the school’s overall points. Ultimately, this spirit of sacrifice only served to deepen their lifelong friendships.

Moving forward, while Julian will be continuing to train for the next few years, both Victoria and Seira have made the tough decision to conclude their swimming career, acknowledging that it had been a good 10 years swimming together, culminating in being in the Raffles swim team together.

Victoria (1st from left) and Seira (3rd from left) after their swim meets in 2018 (top image) and 2026 (bottom image) respectively 

A Race Worth the Wait 

Another highlight was Julia Chiyo Taguchi’s (27A01C) momentous first place finish for the 100m Butterfly Girls Finals. This was a special match—the initial first-place finisher had been disqualified due to a false start, effectively handing over the first placing to Julia instead. 

In that moment, the electrifying atmosphere, combined with the eruption of cheers from the stands, overwhelmed her with exhilaration, knowing that she gave her best and her hard work had finally paid off. 

For Julia, this was her first time breaking a personal best that had stood for a long time. Her 13-year swimming career, despite being glittery at times, was not smooth sailing in the slightest. Previously grappling with fleeting thoughts of quitting at times, her performance at past NSGs only served to further demoralise her as she felt herself going on a downward spiral. 

Julia (1st from the right) at the 2022 ‘C’ Division Swimming NSG

Julia (3rd from left) at the 2026 ‘A’ Division Swimming NSG

Therefore, this year’s NSG was extremely memorable and significant to her, as her exceptional performance gave her more hope and motivation to keep going. She also would like to acknowledge the swim community as her second family, who all understood one another’s struggles and made her look forward to going to training everyday.

“As we grow older, it’s normal to feel like we’re stagnating, but what matters is staying consistent and holding on to that passion for the sport. At the same time, you can’t just do the bare minimum and follow what everyone else is doing but do the extra things that set you apart from others. If you keep putting in the effort, the results will come.”

Julia, 27A01C

Crossing Lanes

Not known to many is the fact that the swimming team was supplemented by 11 members of the water polo team. For the water polo players, it was a natural continuation of what they had been doing since Year 3, especially since some of them had also come from competitive swimming backgrounds. 

Speaking to Kaysan, captain of the water polo team, balancing water polo with swimming NSG was challenging, especially because water polo remained his main sport and priority. Nevertheless, since swimming has always been a huge part of his training, the transition felt natural—in fact, he found it somewhat ironic that since many of the water polo players had bonded over brutal swim sets, it was satisfying to see that side of training translate into something meaningful during the NSGs.

Kaysan at the 2026 NSG Swimming Finals after his 100m Freestyle Race

“It took discipline, but I was grateful for the opportunity to represent the school in another way as well.”

Kaysan, 26S03E

For Kaysan, this experience gave him an even greater appreciation for both sports, and swimming will always remain an important part of his life since it is so closely tied to water polo and his overall fitness. 

When the Waters Settle 

“I think it’s not about the result, but the people that we surround ourselves with. We are very happy that we have this team and we’re so proud of everyone in the team, and I wouldn’t have asked for any other teammates.” 

Seira

While the team may not have achieved their desired results, they fought hard this year, and will be back to fight again, stronger, next year. 

Raffles Press would like to express our congratulations to the swimmers, and wish you all the best for NSG 2027!