Homing In On World C'ships

Swimmers looking forward to boost from S'pore crowd as 100-day countdown begins

- Melvyn Teoh

Artyom Lukasevits was just a young boy when the SEA Games came to town 10 years ago, and managed to watch the action unfold only from the stands.

In three months' time, the 20-year-old Singaporean will have the opportunity to be in the thick of the action when the World Aquatics Championships are staged for the first time here from July 11 to Aug 3 at the Sports Hub.

The open water specialist, born in Singapore to Estonian parents, said: "I've always wanted to race in front of my home crowd. The last time that happened on a big stage was the 2015 SEA Games.

"But back then, I was just a kid, I was in the stands watching. Now I get to be in the pool, in the sea (off Sentosa), in front of the home crowd... It means the world, especially for my family and friends."

"Every time I go overseas for racing, they can't really follow unless they pay a bomb, but now they get to see first-hand the fruits of my work in the past few years," said Lukasevits at the 100-day countdown to the championships at the Bukit Canberra Swimming Complex on April 2.