Singapore 2025: Five female athletes to watch

Singapore is ready to welcome over 580 athletes to the first World Para Swimming Championships in Asia from 21 to 27 September.

All eyes will be on the athletes from around the globe competing at the OCBC Aquatic Centre and you will be able to follow all the action live on the Paralympics YouTube channel.

Here are five female stars to watch out for at the Toyota World Para Swimming Championships – Singapore 2025.

Alexa Leary (Australia)

A promising triathlete, Leary had her life completely transformed after a serious cycling accident. Two years later, she made her World Championships debut winning gold in the women’s 100m freestyle S9 at Manchester 2023. She went one better at her Paralympic debut in Paris, taking gold in the 100m freestyle S9 in world record time and anchoring the mixed 4×100m medley relay 34pts victory.

When to watch: 100m Freestyle S9 - Day 4 (24 Sep) | 50m Freestyle S9 - Day 7 (27 Sep). 

Alice Tai (Great Britain)

A Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth Games champion, Alice Tai made history at the London 2019 Worlds winning seven gold medals. The British swimmer has nine World Championships titles in total and is a three-time Paralympic champion. She is the Paralympic title holder in the women’s 50m freestyle S8 and 100m backstroke S8.

When to watch: 400m Freestyle S8 - Day 1 (21 Sep) | 100m Backstroke S8 - Day 2 (22 Sep) | 100m Butterfly S8 - Day 3 (23 Sep) | 100m Freestyle S8 - Day 4 (24 Sep) |  50m Freestyle S8 - Day 5 (25 Sep) | 200m Individual Medley SM8 - Day 6 (26 Sep).

World Championships no. 5⃣ for @alice__tai and @BethanyFirth2 🔜🇸🇬

The pair already have a total of 31 @Para_swimming world medals between them as they head to Singapore this month 🌏🤩 pic.twitter.com/0zaZj0ysNN

— Aquatics GB (@Aquatics_GB) September 6, 2025

Jessica Long (USA)

There are not enough adjectives for Jessica Long. No other athlete competing in Singapore has a collection of world and Paralympic titles as the USA Para swimmer. She has won 37 gold medals in World Para Swimming Championships and is coming for more. She made her debut in Durban, South Africa, back in 2006. Long is a six-time Paralympian and 18-time Paralympic champion. 

When to watch: 400m Freestyle S8 - Day 1 (21 Sep) | 100m Butterfly S8 - Day 3 (23 Sep) | 100m Freestyle S8 - Day 4 (24 Sep) | 200m Individual Medley SM8 - Day 6 (26 Sep). 

Yip Pin Xiu (Singapore) 

A seven-time Paralympic champion, Yip Pin Xiu won Singapore’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal at the age of 16 in Beijing 2008. A Para swimming legend and a star in her country, she has seven gold medals in World Para Swimming Championships, including two from the last edition in Manchester two years ago in the women’s 50m backstroke S2 and 100m backstroke S2 – she is the world record holder and reigning Paralympic champion in both events.

When to watch: 100m Backstroke S2 - Day 3 (23 Sep) | 50m Backstroke S2 - Day 6 (26 Sep).

Yuyan Jiang (China)

At the age of only 19, Yuyan was the most decorated athlete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, winning seven gold medals from seven events. She won the Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award this year due to her performances at Paris 2024. Known as the ‘Flying Fish’, Yuyan took up Para swimming after being involved in a car accident as a child. She has a total of nine world titles from London 2019 and Manchester 2023.

When to watch: 100m Backstroke S6 - Day 1 (21 Sep) | 100m Freestyle S6 - Day 2 (22 Sep) | 400m Freestyle S6 - Day 4 (24 Sep) | 50m Freestyle S6 - Day 5  (25 Sep) | 50m Butterfly S6 - Day 7 (27 Sep).