Friday 13 December
Charlie Gibbons of Team Palau finished his last race at the World Aquatics Championships with joyful success, dropping 4 seconds off his personal best with the finishing time of 1:01.95. A superb effort and accomplishment from the youngest swimmer in the pool.
Embracing his youth at such a prestigious international championship event, Charlie took to the pool with an incredible reaction time of 0.62, proving he is excelling in this technique as he repeated his efforts from the first day of the competition: entering the pool first, ahead of all other competitors in his heat.
With the maturity of a more experienced competition swimmer, he gave a reflection of his swim, noting that he felt his first 50m was too slow. However, with the strength and resilience of a true athlete, he pushed through the final 50m with great speed. His split times of 12.90, 15.48, 16.25, and 17.32 reflected this powerful swim and also suggested that his assessment of the first 50m was somewhat modest. Overall, Charlie was really happy with his time and said, “the race felt good”.
Having now experienced racing alongside the world’s best swimmers, Charlie proudly returns home with two new personal bests from his outstanding achievements in this short course event. Charlie offered himself some sound advice to depart the competition with and take with him to his next events: “I have to be confident with myself because if I have that in my mind, I can do really well”.
Representing the Pacific islands in these competitions, is a huge privilege that Charlie acknowledges and is proud of. He was able to take comfort sharing the pool with fellow Pacific islander, Thomas Chen from Papua New Guinea in his first race and Jaden Francis in his final race. The unique experience of sharing the pool in both his races with Pacific islanders, coupled with the cheers from a supportive crowd really helped push Charlie to success. He was certain that this support sealed his success in the World Championships.
As Charlie departs from this competition, he has stored core memories that will stand the test of time, “I think that swim was my favorite memory. That’s something I’ll remember for quite a long time”.
Charlie leaves the World Aquatics Championships not only with impressive personal bests but also with invaluable experiences that will shape his future in swimming. His journey reflects the dedication and spirit of young athletes striving to make their mark on the international stage. As he heads back to Palau, the memories of racing alongside fellow Pacific islanders and competing with the world’s best will undoubtedly remain etched in his mind. “When you do something you love, you’ll just make great memories with people and have a fun time”.
With his new found confidence and valuable lessons learned. The pride he feels for representing his island nation is infectious, as Charlie looks towards the future, and the Pacific Mini Games being held in Palau in 2025.