15th May 2026
The warm Fijian air carried something electric this week as Tonga’s swimming team took to the water at the 14th Oceania Swimming Championships. Four athletes, Finau Ohuafi, Alexander Villiami, Carolann Faeamani and Vaoahi Afu, represented the Kingdom of Tonga with heart, determination and speed across a packed programme of racing.
Personal bests tumbled, national records were claimed, and through every heat and final, the blue and red of Tonga moved through the water with a quiet pride that spoke of a nation punching well above its weight.
FINAU OHUAFI
Of all the stories that emerged from Tonga’s week in Fiji, Finau Ohuafi’s was perhaps the most complete. The 25-year-old arrived with ambitions across multiple events, and across three days of racing he delivered performances that will be remembered.
Finau opened his meet in the Men’s 50 Metre Butterfly on Day 1, touching the wall in 25.88 to place 10th in the prelims and qualify comfortably for the final. When the finalists gathered under the Fijian lights, he found another gear entirely, dropping to 25.61 – a personal best improvement – to finish 9th. It was a sign of things to come.
Day 2 brought the 100m Freestyle, and once again Finau showed his capacity to perform when it mattered. He qualified in 13th place from the prelims in 54.31, before lowering that to 54.84 in the final, placing 15th. He also contributed to the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay on Day 2, competing alongside teammates Alexander Villiami, Carolann Faeamani and Vaoahi Afu, more on that relay effort shortly.
The Men’s 100m Butterfly on Day 3 brought Finau’s most accomplished swim of the championships. He placed 9th in the prelims in 59.31, before producing a stunning final swim of 59.01 to finish 7th, a personal best improvement of 0.15 seconds, and a performance that announced him as a genuine regional force in the event.
He closed his individual programme in the 50m Freestyle on the final day, posting 24.68 in both the prelims coming 14th, qualifying for finals and the finals in 13th.
In his mixed zone interviews across the week, Finau spoke with a warmth and groundedness that reflected everything he brought to the pool. After Day 1 he reflected simply: “I take what I got and I’m happy with that” while dedicating his race to his mother ahead of Mother’s Day.
When Day 2 brought a more instinctive race, he was candid about the experience: “My mind just went black and all the plans went out the window and I was just kick kick kick.”
By Day 3, with the plan executed to perfection, his words carried real satisfaction.
“I discussed it with my coach, execute the plan perfectly, and I did that.”
The Fijian crowd, too, moved him: “It’s amazing, seeing the Fiji crowd.“
On the subject of motivation, he offered advice that felt like it came from somewhere deep: “Discipline yourself, it’s hard. Start with just the small things, getting out of bed, be consistent, show up even if you aren’t motivated.”
As for what comes next, he has his eye firmly on the Commonwealth Games: “The next one will hopefully be Commonwealth Games and I’ll do a lot better there, be ready and mentally prepare for it.”
ALEXANDER VILLIAMI
At just 14 years old, Alexander Villiami made his mark on the 14th Oceania Swimming Championships with a maturity and versatility beyond his age. Competing across backstroke, freestyle and fly events, the young Tongan showed that the future of his nation’s swimming is in capable hands.
Alexander opened proceedings in the 50m Fly on Day 1, posting 28.10 to place 28th in the prelims, a personal best improvement of 0.34 seconds. His signature events came across Days 1 and 2 in the backstroke disciplines. In the Men’s 100m Backstroke prelims, he clocked 1:03.21 to place 12th and qualified for the final, before going 1:03.31 in the final to retain his 12th place. In the 50m Backstroke, he went 29.07 for 17th in the prelims and improved slightly to 29.15 in the final for 13th, a time improvement of 0.17 seconds over the weekend.
The 100m Freestyle on Day 3 yielded a 56.70 for 29th place in the prelims, a significant personal best improvement of 1.49 seconds, a remarkable leap for an athlete of his age. His final individual event, the 50m Freestyle, resulted in a 25.86 for 37th place, another personal best improvement of 0.39 seconds. He was also disqualified in the 100m Fly prelims, a tough moment in what was otherwise a week of real forward momentum. Alexander also contributed to both Tonga relay teams throughout the week.
CAROLANN FAEAMANI
Carolann Faeamani, 18, brought energy and consistency to Tonga’s women’s programme across the week, racing across backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke and relay events in a busy and impressive schedule.
Her championships began in the Women’s 100m Backstroke on Day 1, where she posted 1:17.01 to place 19th in the prelims. Carolann then featured in the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay on Day 2 alongside her teammates. On Day 2 she also swam the Women’s 50m Backstroke, clocking 33.33 for 15th in the prelims and qualifying for the final, where she improved to 33.05 to place 13th. In the Women’s 100m Freestyle, she posted 1:07.84 for 29th in the prelims.
She featured in the Mixed 200m Medley Relay on Day 3, helping Tonga qualify and go on to place 8th in the final. Her individual programme continued with the 50m Breaststroke, where she clocked 39.85 for 19th in the prelims. She rounded out her individual schedule in the 50m Freestyle, posting 30.05 for 28th place. A full and committed week from one of Tonga’s most versatile performers.
VAOAHI AFU
If there was a swimmer in Tonga’s team who epitomised the spirit of the whole championships, it was Vaoahi Afu. The 18-year-old arrived in Fiji as a national record holder and she left with her legacy further cemented.
Vaoahi’s week began in the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay alongside her teammates. Her breaststroke programme got underway with the 50m Backstroke on Day 2, where she posted 34.14 for 18th in the prelims, a personal best improvement of 0.69 seconds and qualified for the final, where she continued to compete. Her headline events, however, were in breaststroke.
In the Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Vaoahi posted 1:18.91 in the prelims to place 9th, itself a personal best improvement of 0.81 seconds, and qualified for the final. There, she lowered her time again to 1:18.63 for 8th place, a further personal best improvement of 1.09 seconds on the week as a whole.
In the 50m Breastroke, she was equally impressive, going 34.88 in the prelims for 8th place, a personal best improvement of 0.98 seconds and a qualified swim, before touching in 35.55 in the final for 8th, another personal best improvement of 0.31 seconds.
She also competed in the 200m Breaststroke, posting 2:54.23 for 9th in the prelims. She also featured in both the Mixed 200m Medley Relay and the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay across the week.
When she spoke after Day 3, Vaoahi’s pride was unmistakable. “It feels great,” she said.
“I currently hold the national record for the 50 and 100 and 200 in breaststroke.”
Though disappointed not to beat her own personal best in one of her swims, she remained characteristically positive, a hallmark of everything Tonga’s team brought to Fiji this week.
THE RELAYS
Tonga’s relay squads gave a strong collective account of themselves throughout the week. In the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay, the team posted 1:49.42 in the prelims to place 10th before improving to 1:48.19 in the final to climb to 8th – a fine team effort from Finau, Alexander, Carolann and Vaoahi racing together.
The Mixed 200m Medley Relay told a similar story: Tonga qualified in 8th from the prelims in 2:01.52 and delivered a strong final swim of 1:59.83 to again place 8th, breaking the two-minute barrier in the process, which stands as a notable collective achievement for the team.
Tonga’s four swimmers leave Fiji with personal bests, national records, finals appearances and memories that will carry them through training sessions and competitions for years to come. They swam for their families, their islands, and each other, and the Pacific was watching.
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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.