In a 'very mental' sport, the tiny details matter

For artistic swimmers, the competition day begins long before they step onto the pool deck.

- Kimberly Kwek

Hours of preparation go into perfecting every detail, from hairstyling to make-up, before their routines.

National artistic swimmer Debbie Soh recalls that the earliest she has had to wake up for a competition was about 4am, which was about two to three hours before her event.

While the process varies for each athlete, teammate Rachel Thean begins by tying her hair into a tight ponytail, braiding it and then forming a bun.

Then she mixes boiling water with gelatin, which a teammate helps to apply. Once the mixture hardens, it will ensure her hair stays in place during the routine.

The process is completed by pinning a headpiece and applying waterproof make-up, including foundation, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow, lipstick, and using setting spray to keep everything secure.

Preparation time varies depending on the event: solo swimmers may need as little as 45 minutes, duets take slightly longer, and team routines with up to eight swimmers can require 1½ to two hours.

Once ready, the swimmers proceed to warm up for between one and 1½ hours.

The tiny details matter in artistic swimming, which blends performance and athleticism.

Thean said: "For now, the costumes and make-up kind of factor into your artistic impression score.