Saturday 14 December
In the final day of events for Team Paula, Kazuumi Haruwoniafangi Nestor swam in the men’s 50m freestyle. With his previous days success in the pool, Kazuumi maintained his composure and brought home another national record with a time of 24.20.
Kazuumi entered the pool with a reaction time of 0.58, a good start and only narrowly missed having the quickest reaction time in the pool, beaten only by fellow Pacific islander, Taiyo Akimaru from Northern Mariana Islands. The solidarity seen by Pacific islanders has been incredible across this whole competition. Kazuumi laughs as he remembers a special moment he shared with Taiyo at the end of the race: “most people would just turn around and look at the board but we both looked at each other at the same time”. Demonstrating the true unity amongst Pacific islanders in this competition.
Kazuumi delivered a fantastic performance in this heat, he had high hopes for himself in this race and left ever committed with a new aim for this next race. A demonstration of true dedication to his discipline. Kazuumi completes his experience at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships with great split times in this race of 11.73 and 12.47. With these results it’s clear Kazuumi has entered the world of international competition with strength, determination and honor. He also had the opportunity to be interviewed by a fellow Palauan journalist, Maya Bai as part of a training program with The Reporters’ Academy, further amplifying the support and pride of his home nation.
As Kazuumi leaves for home today, he can return with the pride of achieving two national records for Palau.
As Kazuumi leaves for Palau his achievements at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships exemplify the spirit of perseverance and unity among Pacific islanders. With two national records under his belt and a commitment to continual improvement, Kazuumi has established himself as a formidable competitor on the international stage.