SINGAPORE — At the 56th National Schools Swimming Championships last year, Methodist Girls’ School’s (MGS) swim team came achingly close to creating history after losing the overall girls’ C Division title to arch-rivals Raffles Girls’ School (RGS).

They had missed out on the championship title by 12.5 points, with the RGS swimmers — who have held the C Division title since 2003 — claiming the winner’s trophy for the 13th year running.

While 2015 had ended in tears for the MGS girls, there was only joy and delight yesterday at the 57th National Schools Championships as the swimmers pipped RGS to claim their first C Division crown in over a decade. Leading by just nine points ahead of the final day of racing at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, MGS made it count yesterday by winning two gold, two silver and two bronze to RGS’s 1-1-1 tally.

While MGS had wrapped up the title ahead of the final race of the evening, the 4x50m medley relay, the intense rivalry between both schools still left spectators on the edge of their seats as MGS stormed ahead to claim victory in 2mins 4.10s. RGS finished second in 2mins 5.01s, while the Singapore Sports School claimed third spot in 2mins 6.61s.

“We have been trying every year to beat them, and we came so close last year, which was very heartbreaking,” said Elaine Chan, teacher-in-charge for the MGS swim team. “It brought us closer to the belief we can beat them to the crown, and we worked even harder over the past year. We recruited a good crop of swimmers, and we have talented ones like Natalie Ho, Chelsea Khoo and Gan Ching Hwee. This win gives us the confidence to continue our winning ways and, hopefully, break their dominance at the National Schools Championships one day.”

Added MGS swimmer Chelsea, 14, who won four gold medals: “It is definitely a very emotional win, and has been a long time coming. Our fighting spirit was so strong today.”

Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACSI) also continued their dominance yesterday, sweeping the Boys’ A, B, and C Division titles for the third consecutive year.

With each swimmer only allowed to enter a maximum of four events (two individual, two relay), the top winners this year included national swimmer Dylan Koo and Jonathan Tan — both from ACSI — and Raffles Institution’s Loo J-Yin.

This year’s championships also marked the return of up-and-coming young swimmer Zachary Ian Tan, who won three gold medals in his first competitive meet since fracturing his tailbone last month.

National para swimmer Toh Wei Soong finished second in the mixed 50m freestyle yesterday — the only event for para swimmers in the championships — in his first major competition since winning three gold medals at last December’s ASEAN Para Games (APG). “This is the only swimming meet in the year when I can get to see my whole school cheering me on, and I feel very proud to be representing them,” said ACSI student Toh. “This event has been a good starting block for me as I build up towards joining the national para-swimming team. It holds a very special place in my heart.”