8th May 2026 – Daily Report – Oceania Aquatics Championships Open in Fiji with Strong Start in Open Water Events
The 14th Oceania Swimming Championships have officially started in Fiji, bringing together 163 swimmers from 18 Oceania nations for 6 days of competition.
The Championships opened with a fitting showcase of endurance and skill, as five athletes from four countries travelled to Pacific Harbour for the Men’s and Women’s 10km Open Water event at The Pearl Resort. Set against Fiji’s signature coastline, the course was carefully selected to meet World Aquatics standards, offering good water quality, minimal currents, and a safe environment for competitors.
Australia, New Caledonia, Hawaii and Tahiti were the first nations to compete in the Championships in the Open Water 10km race.
Tahiti claimed the first gold medal of the Championships in the Men’s 10km, Australia took silver narrowly followed by New Caledonia for bronze.
The women’s 10km featured a single entrant from Australia, who claimed gold and secured her nation’s first title of the Championships.
For the majority of the swimmers it marked their first experience at this distance and their opening race of the meet, an impressive accomplishment.
Open Water swimming holds particular significance across Oceania, where all the competing nations are connected by the ocean. The discipline reflects both the environment and the shared identity of its competitors.
Tomorrow the action will come from Fiji’s Aquatic Centre 50m pool for the start of the long course competition.
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Thank you to Oceania Aquatics and World Aquatics continental support, funding a new generation of Pacific Island reporters during these Championships, with eight trainees from Fiji and Samoa swimming federations working alongside The Reporters’ Academy to develop their skills, capture athlete stories, and share the voices of Pacific swimmers with a global audience.
