14th May 2025
Vanuatu Aquatics Federation sent six swimmers to Fiji’s National Aquatic Centre for the 14th Oceania Swimming Championships, and they left with national records rewritten, personal bests across the board, and a team that wore their gold uniforms with distinction every time they stepped onto the blocks.
Competing across all four days of pool competition, the squad consisting of Chloe Ameara, Leo Lebot, Loane Russet, Remy Idieder, Robsen Dick, Johnathan Silas and Dani Teliemb combined their efforts in the pool and brought energy, pride and no small amount of competitive spirit to the Fiji crowd.
Coach Cali Ameara reflected on what it took to get the team ready: “Preparation was good. I think the biggest challenge is always the facilities. Even though half of our team are training in Australia, which is great, we have to make do with the facilities that we have, and leading up to the games we did a lot of open water training, out in the sea, to be as prepared as we can.”
CHLOE AMEARA
Sixteen-year-old Chloe Ameara was one of the standout performers for Vanuatu, arriving at the championships with a national record to her name and leaving with a new one. On Day 1, Chloe stepped into the water for the Women’s 100m Backstroke and broke her own national record with a time of 1:31.07, a statement performance right from the off.
She followed that on Day 2 with a 41.41 in the Women’s 50m Backstroke, before switching to breaststroke on Day 3, touching in 49.41 in the 50m Breaststroke, a race in which she lined up alongside her Vanuatu teammate Loane Russet. Day 4 rounded out her championship campaign in the 50m Freestyle. Across four events and four days, Chloe was a constant presence and a credit to her federation.
In the mixed zone, she had plenty to say about what made this week special. “I really like competing here – the pool is really nice and we’ve had really good weather, the atmosphere has been really good, so I’ve really enjoyed it.” She spoke warmly about the connections made across the Pacific family: “I’ve loved getting to meet everyone and make lots of new friends, and seeing people from other competitions and old friends, it’s been really fun.”
Chloe also reflected on what it means to compete in this part of the world:
“We all share a sense of community being from the Pacific, but it’s also really fun because there’s lots of competitiveness and it’s just great to get lots of racing experience.”
On representing her country, she was clear:
“I’m very proud to represent Vanuatu, and it’s great that I get to compete in such a fun environment, especially the Oceania events, the atmosphere is very good.”
The open water preparation back home has played its part too:
“We’ve been training in the ocean and that has definitely helped build up our strength.”
LEO LEBOT
Nineteen-year-old Leo Lebot delivered one of the highlights of Vanuatu’s week on Day 1, launching his championships with a national record of 28.93 in the Men’s 50m Butterfly. He backed that up on Day 2 with another national record in the 100m Freestyle, clocking 59.19, breaking the one-minute barrier and underlining his standing as one of the team’s most exciting performers. He closed out his individual programme on Day 4 with a 26.50 in the 50m Freestyle, racing alongside teammates Robsen Dick, Johnathan Silas and Dani Teliemb.
Lebot was effusive about the experience of competing on home Pacific soil:
“The crowd here is really nice. It’s a huge Pacific family, so we all know each other and it’s always really nice to swim in the Pacific because the crowd is always nice and cheerful.”
He was particularly impressed with the venue:
“The 50m pool is really, really nice. It’s deep enough, the blocks are beautiful, world standard – so it’s really nice.”
On picking up personal bests during the week, his satisfaction was clear:
“It felt really nice because I’ve been training a lot and looking forward to this competition, so I was really happy about most of my races.”
LOANE RUSSET
Twenty-year-old Loane Russet came into the championships with clear goals, and she delivered on them. Day 1 saw her open in the Women’s 50m Butterfly with a time of 31.19. She returned on Day 2 to race in the 100m Freestyle B Final, touching in a national record of 1:02.21. Day 3 brought her another final and another national record, this time in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke in 38.59, a race shared in the water with her Vanuatu teammate Chloe Ameara.
She capped her week on Day 4 in the Women’s 50m Freestyle final, finishing 11th overall with a time of 28.12.
Two finals, two national records and a top 12 finish in the 50m Freestyle, it was a week that exceeded her ambitions. “For this comp, my goal was to get PBs and get my performances better, and I also wanted to do a final, which I did, so I’m very happy,”
Russet spoke with pride about what it means to pull on the Vanuatu cap: “It’s always an honour to come and represent our country and it always feels very special, and we always try to come and make our country proud.”
That sense of responsibility carries through to every race: “Whenever I race, I’m not only swimming for myself, but I’m doing my best to make my country proud and it really means a lot.”
REMY IDIEDER
At just 14 years old, Remy Idieder made his debut for Vanuatu Aquatics Federation at this championship, and he wasted no time making an impression. On Day 1, he opened with a national record of 1:13.88 in the Men’s 100m Backstroke. Twenty-four hours later, he went one better, recording a second national record in the 50m Backstroke with a time of 33.23, two national records in his first two races in international competition.
He added a personal best of 39.46 in the 50m Breaststroke on Day 3, before closing his debut championship on Day 4 with a 2:46.67 in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley. Personal bests in three of his four events marked an exceptional introduction to senior international swimming.
Racing in front of a Fiji crowd for the first time, Remy reflected on the experience with genuine gratitude:
“It feels great. It’s a nice experience. It’s a nice atmosphere, everyone is rooting for everyone.”
On representing Vanuatu, he was enthusiastic: “It’s an honour to represent the country and I really hope that I can do this more in the future.”
The scale of the occasion was not lost on him: “It’s intimidating. There are a lot of great swimmers here, a lot of fantastic swimmers, it feels good.”
And despite the pressure, his performances spoke for themselves. “I feel proud of my performance, today, this week, this year.”
ROBSEN DICK
Twenty-six-year-old Robsen Dick made his competition debut at this level with a personal best of 35.52 in the Men’s 50m Butterfly on Day 1, an assured start to his championship campaign. He followed that with a time of 1:10.79 in the 100m Freestyle on Day 2, before recording a personal best of 38.41 in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke on Day 3. He concluded his programme alongside Lebot, Silas and Teliemb in the Men’s 50m Freestyle on Day 4. Two personal bests on debut marked a solid and encouraging first appearance at the Oceania Swimming Championships.
JOHNATHAN SILAS
Twenty-three-year-old Johnathan Silas competed across all four days of pool competition, providing experience and consistency throughout the week. He opened with a 30.30 in the Men’s 50m Butterfly on Day 1, raced to 1:02.91 in the 100m Freestyle on Day 2, and delivered a 35.70 in the 50m Breaststroke on Day 3.
He rounded off his championships in the 50m Freestyle on Day 4, touching in 27.79, the fastest of the Vanuatu men in that event. Silas was a reliable and important presence in the team throughout the week.
DANI TELIEMB
Nineteen-year-old Dani Teliemb made his Oceania debut at this championship and took to it with enthusiasm. He opened with a personal best of 35.27 in the Men’s 50m Butterfly on Day 1, followed that on Day 2 with a time of 1:09.75 in the 100m Freestyle, and added a personal best of 39.84 in the 50m Breaststroke on Day 3. He also contributed to the team in relay competition across the week, competing in the butterfly, breaststroke and freestyle legs. He completed his first Oceania campaign in the 50m Freestyle on Day 4, finishing in 30.39.
Speaking after his races, Teliemb reflected on what the week had meant to him. Racing in front of the Fiji crowd was an experience he had never had before, and one he was proud to have taken on. He spoke warmly about the support of his friends throughout the competition, and felt at home in Fiji, a country he found reassuringly familiar, sharing a similar landscape and climate to his native Vanuatu. Two personal bests on his Oceania debut was a fine way to announce himself on the regional stage.
RELAY PERFORMANCES
Vanuatu also stepped up as a team unit in the relay events across the week. On Day 1, their Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay team clocked 1:56.82, and on Day 2 they combined in the Mixed 200m Medley Relay with a time of 2:14.54. The Men’s 400m Freestyle Relay on Day 3 produced a national record time of 4:16.67 for the team. The Men’s 400m Medley Relay on Day 4 rounded out their team programme.
From the youngest debutant to the most experienced head, Vanuatu Aquatics Federation left the 14th Oceania Aquatics Championships with national records, personal bests and a team full of belief. The future is bright for Vanuatu’s Swimming Team.
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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.