News - Oceania Swimming Association

Swimming towards success

AN exciting weekend of competition in Lae was witnessed by all who attended the 2018 TNT National Short Course Swimming Championships over the weekend of 21-23 September. After a 6 year spell of not having the event in Lae PNGSI thanked the Lae Amateur Swimming Club and its executives for hosting the Championship in 2018. This prestigious annual event on the PNGSI calendar brought together our

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Vanuatu invests efforts in coach development

Vanuatu Aquatics have been very busy with exciting new projects in the works. We have had the opportunity to take part in 2 FINA development clinics where we have had a professional in water polo and Swimming come to Port Vila to work with our coaches. Our water polo and swimming programs coaches have benefited greatly from these opportunities and we look forward to taking part in plenty more clin

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12TH OCEANIA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

PAPUA New Guinea Swimming Inc. (PNGSI) hosted the 12th Oceania Championship from the 25-30 June, 2018 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in partnership with PNG Sports Foundation. It was the Twelfth edition of the FINA sanctioned biennial championships under the direction of Oceania Swimming Association.

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The Very First Vanuatu National Swimming Team

On April 7th the Vanuatu Swim Team headed to Fiji for their first ever overseas tour and compete in the Fiji Long Course Grand Prix at Damodar Aquatic Centre. The team was made up of 8 boys and 1 girl. 8 swimmers have come through the Let’s Swim learn to swim curriculum and are now representing their country for the first time. It is a very proud moment for Vanuatu Aquatics Federation as a lot of

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SSF Eyes on Oceania and Team Samoa for PNG June 2018

Oceania Swim Championships are coming up this June 2018. So far, the team has 6 committed swimmers to compete against the best from around the region including Australia and New Zealand.

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Saipan International Meet

The Saipan International Meet was held on March 23 & 24 at the Kan Pacific pool in Marpi, Saipan. This annual meet brings together teams from all over Micronesia for two days of pool events, ending with an ocean swim in the picturesque waters in the Saipan Lagoon.

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14 Year Old Tongan Swimmer Youngest Person to Conquer the 22.3km Apolima Strait Solo Swim

On Friday, April 6, 2018, Noelani Day, Age 14, from Holonga Tongatapu made history by becoming the youngest person to ever attempt and complete the 22.3km Apolima Strait solo swim. The Apolima Strait is the longest ocean swim in the Southern Hemisphere and is notorious for the strong currents that run between Upolu and Savaii Islands in Samoa.

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Taking Centre Stage on the Competition Platform

The THEODIST Championships, an annual prestigious event on the Papua New Guinea Swimming Inc calendar, provided a competition platform for our 65 swimmers representing the Lae Swim Club, Boroko Swim Club and PNG Masters Club.

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Palau Schools Boating in from Afar for Championships

On April 20th, Palau Swimming Association hosted its second annual “All Elementary Schools Swimming Championships” that was open to all of the public and private schools across Palau. This was an amazing swim meet as we had 115 swimmers from across Palau participating in this event.

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A Big Jump Forward

Let’s Swim Fiji, funded by the Australian Government through the Pacific Sports Partnerships, has seen our first quarter of 2018 work with sixteen primary schools

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Greater Lengths

In the pool at Gold Coast 2018, the Pacific Islands are being represented by more nations than in any other previous Commonwealth Games. On the surface, this hints at a growing prominence for swimming across the islands, where the importance of learning how to swim is still underemphasised. So, are positive steps actually being taken to improve the state of Pacific swimming, or do the competing at

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FINA Artistic Swimming Clinic for Coaches

The clinic was well attended with over 40 participants from all over New Zealand, Australia and Singapore attending.

Julie covered many aspects of artistic swimming and was very welcoming to questions and providing any information requested by participants.

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PNG Water Polo finishing strong in 2017

UNDER the direction and guidance of Eamon Murphy the PNG Water Polo class for 2017 concluded its season with a last instruction on how to play the game of water polo and a competition at the Taurama Aquatic Centre (TAC) on Saturday 9th December.

Eamon Murphy an experienced, enthusiastic and passionate coach, alongside Ryan Agnew, introduced the sport of water polo into Port Moresby by conducting

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Update from Fiji for Junior Pan Pac

Fiji Swimming is grateful to the organizers of Jr Pan Pacific Games Committee for allowing the Games to be hosted in Suva, Fiji from 23-27 August 2018. Competition will be held at the Damodar Aquatic Centre in Suva. nWhile there will be no open water and synchronize swimming competition, Fiji is expecting 300 swimmers and officials representing twenty countries to attend. The competition is for

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Vanuatu to hold the Azure International Water Polo Tournament

Water Polo development has quickly progressed in Vanuatu as it plays upon cultural values of team sport. Vanuatu Aquatics Federation (VAF) has held training clinics over the last year, training up a skilled squad who are looking for some competition.

VAF is set to host their first international competition, the Azure International Water Polo Tournament, on the 27th of January. Teams will include

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Palau to host “Palau Open Water Weekend”

Mark your calendars this June - Palau Swimming Association will be hosting its annual Open Water Aquatics Festival “Palau Open Water Weekend”. This event has evolved over the years from a one-day Open Water race to a full three-day weekend that includes adventure swims and Water Polo set in Palau’s pristine Rock Islands.

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Artistic Swimming Loses a Dear Friend

It is with much sadness that we write this – to let you know that Sue Edwards passed away on the 23rd of January 2018.

She had been battling with cancer for some time, but to be honest, she was such a strong woman that we all kept expecting (and hoping) she would beat it, but it was not to be.

Sue has done so much for synchronised swimming in New Zealand being the driving force behind our sport.

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Behind the Scenes of Swimming

Behind the scenes, sitting in the Fiji Swimming office is a small team making sure that everything is in place so Development Officers can focus on delivering fun and educational programs.

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A look into the life of the Pacific's Father of Swimming

This week Oceania Swimming celebrates the UN’s International Volunteer Day, celebrating volunteers all around us who come to our assistance in times of need, help save lives and support people so that they can live their lives in dignity.Today, we turn to a different corner of the Pacific: Micronesia.

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Australia Meets Pacific, Swim Professionals Making a Difference

This week Oceania Swimming celebrates the UN’s International Volunteer Day, celebrating volunteers all around us who come to our assistance in times of need, help save lives and support people so they can live their lives in dignity. Today, we highlight the impact respected professionals from Australian swimming organisations have had on the Pacific.

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Face to Face, the Volunteers who make a difference on the ground

Today marks the UN’s International Volunteer Day. Let’s Swim, funded by the Pacific Sports Partnership under the Australia Government, relies on a network of volunteers to bring water safety and learn to swim to the communities and those who need it most. This week we celebrate those people and their stories. Today, we look at how teachers are making an impact face to face with their students.

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Letter from the OSA Executive - FINA Bureau Update

An update on regional activities and FINA Committees and Panels (2017-2021)

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FINA approves 18 Clinics for Oceania

FINA, the International Swimming Federation, has approved 18 clinics across 10 countries for the 2018 calendar year.

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Pini Swims Under World Record at FINA Masters

THE Papua New Guinea Masters Swim team made history this month by competing for the first time at the 17th FINA World Masters Swimming Championships held in Budapest, Hungary from the 14th to the 20th August 2017. Our two swimmers Ryan Pini and Ashley Seeto who competed at the Championships contested in 5 and 4 events respectively.

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FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW

Five years ago when Frank Vira, the Senior Development Officer for Vanuatu Aquatics, began teaching swimming with a group of 11 children he knew it was just the beginning. “I knew it was going to be the start of something good,”

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Training Camp was Opportunity of the Year for Palau in Budapest

Team Palau was invited to the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary this past summer. The team consisted of three swimmers - Osisang Chilton, Shawn Wallace, and first-time participant, Noel Keane. This meet is always a great meet for Team Palau, and this one was one of the country’s best yet.

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Top finish for swimming

TEAM Fiji swimming coach Sharon Smith is happy with her team's performance at the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The team managed 11 open national records, 25 personal best (PBs) from 29 individual events and featured in six finals.

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Kings Swimming Donates Container’s Worth of Equipment to Let’s Swim

Living in the Pacific, far removed from large industrial countries can be a challenge when trying to stock learn to swim programs with kickboards and other swimming equipment. Not only is it difficult to get equipment to the Pacific, but the cost of equipment plus the shipping costs can be prohibitive. Let’s Swim, funded under the Pacific Sports Partnership by the Australian Government, provides s

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LET’S SWIM KEEPS IT FRESH IN MELBOURNE

While all eyes were set on the pool at the FINA World Championships in Budapest this month, Let’s Swim staff from Tonga Swimming and Fiji Swimming were huddled around a large shower curtain hanging on the wall of Swimming Australia’s board room in Melbourne while discussing their next steps for 2017 and 2018.

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VANUATU CELEBRATES FINA WORLD AQUATICS DAY WITH PINK FRIENDS

On the 8th July 2017 Vanuatu Aquatics Federation (VAF) along with the Port Vila community celebrated FINA World Aquatics Day with their first ever “Pig Paddle”. The Federation organised an Open water swimming competition for adults and a separate race for kids and a Come and Try Water Polo clinic.

Following some Vanuatu kastoms where a “real” pig is tossed in to the ocean with villagers jumping

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Wells gets top award in pioneer programme

Sport administrator and President of PNG Swimming, Elizabeth Wells received the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee’s Best Student award in the first ever Advanced Sport Management course of the Managing Olympic Sport Organizations (MOSO) programme that was run in Port Moresby.

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Tonga Celebrates World Aquatics Day 2017

Despite the wintery weather, Pelehake Village celebrated completing their 6-week Learn to Swim Program over the weekend with a fun day and barbeque at Fua’amotu Beach. This day also marked the graduation of 5 Pelehake residents who learned to become swimming teachers under the Let’s Swim program.

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Wesley Tikiariki Roberts named Cook Islands Sportsman of the Year

The Cook Islands Aquatics Federation is a small federation located in the heart of Polynesia between Samoa and French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean with a population of 12,000. We are one of five Pacific Countries that do not have a proper swimming pool (25m or 50m). Most of our training and coaching through our Swimming in Schools programmes is done inside the lagoons of our protected reefs.

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FINA WORLD AQUATICS DAY in PNG

The introduction of WATER POLO

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Oceania Set to Attend the first FINA Swimming for All Clinic

FINA has created a new initiative, “Swimming for All – Swimming for Life”, as a special programme to teach people from all ages, different backgrounds and capacities how to swim and to promote physical activity through swimming across the globe.

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Fiji Swimming Launches Let’s Swim in Suva

Fiji Swimming in partnership with Australian Aid, Swimming Australia, Oceania Swimming Association, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Sports is the newest organization to deliver the Pacific Sports Partnership (PSP) Let’s Swim program to address water safety prevention. With the encouragement of local government, especially the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Education,

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Vanuatu Gets Mamas and Youth Moving

Already 2017 has been jam packed for the Vanuatu Aquatics Federation (VAF) with new and exciting aquatic programs and milestones. VAF has continued its great work in Learn to Swim throughout the communities, with numbers of youth engaged continuing to grow. Vanuatu Aquatics has been in contact with some programs in Australia which have helped VAF expand their programs to include Water Polo and aqu

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Tonga Swimming Making Waves in Schools

Tonga Swimming and Aquatics Association (TSAA) has increased the number of participation programs on the main island of Tonga through the Australian Government supported Pacific Sports Partnership program, Let’s Swim. The federation has been able to dedicate a team of staff to focus on programs in schools, villages and communities. Acts Community School (ACTS) has been one of the big success stori

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Palau Making a Difference in Elementary Schools

Palau Swimming Association put together the first ever, “All Elementary Schools” Swimming Championships on March 31 with half of Palau’s schools participating.

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2016 SAL Awards

SWIMMING AUSTRALIA GALA DINNER 2016

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FILM: Swimming in Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands had two swimmers representing them at Rio 2016, Colleen Furgeson and Giordan Harris. They gave us some of their time to tell us all about swimming on the islands and how they got involved in the sport.

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Rio 2016 - Schuster joins the Olympic family

‘Family is not an important thing, it’s everything.’

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RIO 2016 - Harris hungry for more after Personal Best Performance

On Day 6 of the Games of the 31st Olympiad, the focus turned to the Olympic Aquatics Centre for the Marshall Islands with Giordan Harris under the World’s spotlight in the 50m Freestyle.

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RIO 2016 - Furgeson Breaks Records on Her Way to Heat Win

Day seven of the swimming competition saw 17-year-old Colleen Ferguson break her personal best on her way to winning Heat 4 of the Women’s 50m Freestyle. Her time of 28.19 seconds left her delighted.

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RIO 2016 - EVELINA LIVES THE OLYMPIC DREAM FOR SAMOAN SWIMMING

It’s been a long road since Samoan swimmer Evelina Afoa’s first appearance on a world stage at the 2013 FINA Swimming World Championships to competing in the Rio Olympics on Sunday 7th August.

17 year old Evelina made her Olympic debut in the Women’s 100m Backstroke event at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium in Rio.

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Rio 2016 - Tongan Irene Prescott Post Race Interview

Irene competed on Day 7 of the Rio Olympics in the 50m freestyle event. She clocked 28.68 seconds in the sprint event. This was just outside the 22 year old’s personal best.

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Full Results, XI Oceania Swimming Championships

Full Results, XI Oceania Swimming Championships, Suva, Fiji 2016

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New OSA Executive Board

The newly elected Executive Board of the Oceania Swimming Association for 2016 - 2020 met today in Suva.

Pictured L-R: Liz Wells (Hon. Treasurer), Ron Clarke (Hon. Secretary), Dennis Miller (President), Matt Dunn (Vice President) and Judy Otto (Member)

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2016 Oceania Swimming Championships

Results can be found at http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-11356-0-0-0&sID=382031

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PACIFIC GAMES DVD

Access to copies of DVD of Pacific Games can be made by contacting Lesieli Vete at EMTV either on email lvete@emtv.com.pg or phone number +675 71922007 to order the Pacific Games DVDs.

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PNG Newsletter

The latest Newsletter from PNG Swimming..

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Full Pacific Games results

At the link you will be able to download the full Pacific Games results from Port Moresby.

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Films - 2015 World Swimming Championships

Watch a selection of films produced by The Reporters' Academy at the 2015 World Swimming Championships in Kazan. Featuring Cook Islands, PNG & Samoa teams.

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FINAL DAY OF COMPETITION FOR PACIFIC ISLANDS SEES MORE PERSONAL BESTS FOR FSM AND NORTHERN MARIANAS

Day 7 saw the Pacific island swimmers bring down the curtain on their World Championships with ten swimmers from seven countries competing in nine events. There was just time to collect a couple more personal bests and a chance to reflect on the successes and challenges of the week, whilst having an eye on future plans.

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NORTHERN MARIANAS AND PALAU REAP REWARDS ON DAY 6 OF WORLDS

Day 6 was the busiest day yet with no fewer than sixteen Pacific island swimmers hunting out personal bests and national records for their nine respective countries. Once again, a lot of the swimmers can point to successes gained on the world stage, including national records and personal bests, as their thoughts and training plans begin to turn toward qualification for the 2016 Olympic games in R

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PANUVE AND FURGESON TAKE THE HONOURS FOR TONGA AND THE MARSHALLS

There were five swimmers from Oceania’s Pacific islands competing on day five of these championships. Four appearing in a competitive Women’s 100m Freestyle, whilst Pilar Shimizu lined up in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke. Once again, personal best times were lowered in the Kazan Arena.

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Day 4 - RECORDS GALORE ON DAY 4 FOR PACIFIC ISLAND SWIMMERS

Day four was the busiest day in the pool so far for the Oceania Swimmers at these championships with seventeen swimmers competing from nine nations. No fewer than 10 personal bests and national records fell, including a historic moment for Papua New Guinea in the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay.

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Day 3 - QUICK LEARNER YANAI GAINS ANOTHER BEST MARK

Day three was a relatively quiet day in the pool for the Pacific island swimmers, with just three swimmers competing. Nonetheless, it was no less challenging. Swimmers from Fiji, FSM and Northern Marianas were the latest to take the plunge and once again those supporting the region’s swimmers were not disappointed as another personal best was achieved within five minutes of the morning’s heats c

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COOK ISLANDS AND SAMOA LEAD THE WAY WITH RECORDS ON DAY 2

Another busy day in the pool at Kazan Arena for the Pacific islands. Two more records fell in the morning heats as five nations and seven swimmers performed on the world stage. There were creditable performances from others following on from the recent Pacific Games, as the swimmers asked their muscles to go for one more time in their chase to lower personal bests and national records.

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PACIFIC ISLAND RECORDS TUMBLE ON DAY ONE OF SWIMMING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Swimming competition on day one of the 16th FINA World Championships proved to be a satisfying one for the swimmers from Oceania, with most carrying their good form from the recent Pacific Games in Port Moresby. 10 swimmers from seven island nations took to the pool on a nervous first morning of competition. Nevertheless, the nerves were soon soothed with no fewer than 5 personal bests (PB)...

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Officials clinic in Guam

The Guam Swimming Federation welcomed swimming officials over five days of training in Hagatna (GUM) 25 -31 May.

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A history of Swimming in the Pacific Islands

The attached file is large (6MB) and we thank Bill (&Jean) Sakovich for putting together a history of what is unique about our region and the Pacific Islands. Please enjoy.

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