Day 5 of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships saw all three of Cook Islands’ swimmers in action: Mia Laban (17), Lanihei Connolly (19) and Jacob Story (17), each producing standout performances and personal achievements that underscored their strength, resilience, and unity as a team.
In the Women’s 100m Freestyle, Mia Laban delivered a confident swim to finish second in her heat, stopping the clock at 59.95: a sub-minute milestone that left her grinning. “It feels really nice to go double digits instead of triple,” she said. “It’s super cool to see a 59 on the board.” Reflecting on the challenge of the race, she shared, “Freestyle is always hard to manage, you’ve got to be quick from start to finish. It’s all about pace, tempo, and stroke rate.”
Mia’s race stood out not just for her result but for its setting, the Women’s 100m Freestyle was a popular Oceania event, with athletes from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia and Tonga all lining up to race. It was a powerful display of Pacific pride in the pool, and Mia held her own with confidence. Mia’s performance was meaningful as it marked her final race at these championships. “It was just giving my all,” she said. “I want to do my best for my family at home and my people.”
Lanihei Connolly brought her championship to a strong close in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke, clocking a personal best of 2:29.87, just under her long-targeted sub-2:30 goal. “I was definitely more tired as the week has gone on, but I still felt strong, and I was just happy to finish up with a PB,” she said. “It was a good field, very fast, I got dragged along and was surprised with my time.”
Having previously competed at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, Lanihei credited that experience with helping her remain composed under pressure. “The Olympics taught me so many lessons, how to handle nerves and stay composed. That helped a lot here.”
In the final Cook Islands swim of the day, Jacob Story shattered his personal and secured a new national record for his home nation in the Men’s 200m Breaststroke, clocking 2:17.91, a two-second improvement on his previous best. “I’ve been so nervous all week. I didn’t have the prep I would’ve liked, but I just had to trust that my body knows how to swim this race,” he said. “I’m so, so beyond happy with 2:17.”
Jacob had already broken his 100m breaststroke PB earlier in the week, but the 200m was his focus. “This is my main event. Taking the confidence from the 100 into today really paid off.”
While each athlete brought their own experience to the pool, their voices blended with a shared theme of family, growth, and team spirit. For Mia, it’s her mum who inspires her: “She used to be a swimmer, and being here is probably one of her big dreams”. Lanihei’s inspiration comes from her Olympian cousin Zachary Payne. He swam for the Cook Islands in 2012. When I saw that I really wanted to follow in his footsteps” she said.
Jacob also feels the family support strongly, echoing: “My parents have always just been so supportive and telling me how proud they are of me. They’re always messaging me before my race, after my race, even during the race, they’re always messaging and supporting me so much” He also paid tribute to his long-time coach: “He reminds me I’ve done the work”. His coach tells him “Just believe in yourself behind the blocks and trust your training.”
That spirit of belief extends across the whole team. “It’s so special to have all of us competing on the same day,” said Lanihei. “We feed off each other’s performances and support one another, it makes a big difference.” Jacob added, “Our team relationship has really grown. We’re always hyping each other up. It’s just such a great feeling knowing your teammates are there for you.”
Now that their races are over, the team is soaking in the experience and planning a well-earned rest, relaxation, fun and McCelebration… “I’m going straight to McDonald’s,” Jacob laughed. “This week has been a mental and physical challenge, but I’ve learned so much. Time to enjoy it.”
From PBs and national records to strong camaraderie and family pride, the Cook Islands swimmers have made a lasting mark in Singapore, not just as athletes, but as role models for future generations.
–Ends–
Written by The Reporters’ Academy Photos by Andrea Schuster