It was an exhilarating Saturday night at the pool when Fiji swimmers dazzled at the Oceania Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre, in Suva.
Team Fiji swimmers won 3 gold medals, 2 bronze and shattered the Oceania record.
According to Fiji Swimming, the action kicked-off with Anahira McCutcheon, who made history by clinching the first gold med-al for Fiji in the fiercely competitive 50m butterfly event.
Following her was Tolu Young who powered through the water, securing yet another gold medal.
In the grueling 1500m distance event, the re-markable Salote Leca fought hard and show-cased her stamina to earn a bronze medal. Charis Kwong maintained her stamina and resilience and was placed fourth.
Then came the nail-biting 4x50m mixed re-lay. With adrenaline pumping, the youngest member of the team Grace Khelan, teamed up with McCutcheon, Young, and Hansel Mc-Caig to embark on an electrifying race.
Backed by the crowd they emerged victorious, clinching the third gold medal.
They not only celebrated their triumph but also etched their names in history by breaking the Oceania record with a stunning time of 1:36.83—previously set in 2024 at 1:36.85. They also set a new Fiji record, smashing the old mark of 1:39.88 set in 2023 at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.
Meanwhile, Jemesa Younger, 15, is determined to break the men’s national record of 30 seconds in the men’s 50 metre breaststroke.
Younger said he recorded a time of 31 seconds during his training prior to the competition.
He clocked in at 56.70 secs to take first place in the men’s 100 metres freestyle heats event at the National Aquatic centre in Suva .
“I was a little bit scared seeing other competitors from different countries as they are really fast, but I had to do my best,” Younger said.
“I was really shocked to have three events back-to-back and I planning to save my en-ergy, but I just went for it.”
Younger was excited to have his family cheering him on at the stands.
“I wanted to impress them. I feel really proud to represent Fiji, but I think God carried me along the way, he has helped me all my life.”
The 15-year-old is from Rotuma and was in-spired by his elder brother Don Younger to take up swimming.
“My mum Elizabeth Younger swam for her school during her youth, and my dad Jona-than Younger played rugby overseas,” he said.
“Swimming is really fun; everyone should try it out and it’s a life skill. Swimming has taught me to be patient and respectful. I just keep on grinding, and my mum has been my biggest motivator as she buys me stuff and encourages me to swim every day,” he said.
