Monday 11th May marked the third day of pool competition at the 14th Oceania Aquatics Championships, held at Fiji’s National Aquatic Centre.
The evening finals programme delivered a balanced schedule of sprint and middle-distance racing. Events included the explosive 50m and 100m races, alongside the more tactical 200m and 400m distances. The session concluded with relay events, where teamwork and precision exchanges were key.
A total of 10 medals were awarded to Oceania Aquatics member nations across the night.
The session opened with the Women’s 50m Breaststroke, where Cook Islands’ Lanihei Connolly claimed gold. Fiji was strongly represented, with Anahira McCutcheon finishing 5th and Kelera Mudunasoko 7th, while Tonga’s Vaoahi Afu placed 8th. In the B Final, Papua New Guinea’s Roaxanne Kirarock and Vanuatu’s Loane Russet both achieved new personal bests.
In the Men’s 50m Breaststroke, Fiji’s Samuel Yalimaiwai secured gold in a close race, with Cook Islands’ Jacob Story taking silver. Fiji’s Don Younger finished 5th and Samoa’s Christian Toia 6th. In the heats, Federated States of Micronesia swimmers Katerson Moya and Nicholas Vava recorded personal bests, alongside competitors from Samoa, Fiji, Northern Mariana Islands and Cook Islands.
The Men’s 50m Breaststroke also marked their first appearance in this distance for Junior Sanja of Solomon Islands, Remy Idieder of Vanuatu and Jacob Hutchinson of Marshall Islands.
Samoa’s Nafanua Hamilton earned bronze in the Women’s 400m Freestyle, with teammate Talia Saumamao placing 7th and Fiji’s Salote Leca finishing 8th.
In the Men’s 400m Freestyle heats, Papua New Guinea’s Sujith Noka delivered a standout swim with a new personal best. Guam’s Ocean Campus and Northern Mariana Islands’ Richards Zhao recorded official times on their first appearance in this event.
Fiji’s Anahira McCutcheon returned to the podium with bronze in the Women’s 100m Butterfly. Cook Islands’ Mia Laben placed 5th, Samoa’s Paige Schendelaar-Kemp 6th and Cook Islands’ Alicia Story 8th. In the B Final, Northern Mariana Islands swimmers Maria Guerrero and Raho Piper both achieved personal bests.
Northern Mariana Islands’ Isaiah Aleksenko claimed gold in the Men’s 100m Butterfly, while Guam’s Israel Poppe secured bronze. Tonga’s Finau Ohuafi placed 7th and Samoa’s Kokoro Frost 8th. In the heats, personal bests were recorded by Palau’s Charlie Gibbon and Northern Mariana Islands’ Michael Miller, while Solomon Islands’ Bijay Garry made his debut in the event.
Samoa continued its strong showing in backstroke events. Nafanua Hamilton took bronze in the Women’s 200m Backstroke, with teammate Salani Sa’aga finishing 6th.
In the Men’s 200m Backstroke, Samoa’s Kobe Tuioti earned bronze. Cook Islands swimmers Carter Makira and Brendan Makira placed 6th and 8th respectively. Fiji’s Livai Raviko recorded a personal best in the heats.
The Women’s 400m Freestyle Relay featured teams from Fiji, Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands, finishing 4th, 6th and 7th respectively.
The night concluded with the Men’s 400m Freestyle Relay, where Fiji delivered a gold medal performance. Northern Mariana Islands placed 5th, Samoa 6th, Palau 7th and Papua New Guinea 8th.
Attention now turns to the next day of racing, as the championships continue to showcase emerging talent and fast performances from across the Oceania region.
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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.