Fiji Swimming is pushing for bigger ambitions, as the country’s young performers chase international qualifying times while emerging talents look to make their own mark at the Fiji Swimming Short Course Age Group Nationals held at the National Aquatic Centre.
The two-day competition, which concludes today, has brought together swimmers from all seven clubs in Fiji, providing an opportunity for athletes to measure their progress, chase personal bests and, more importantly, finish the 2026 Fiji swimming calendar on a high.
However, beyond the battle for medals and personal achievements, the nationals carry added significance for some of the country’s leading performers, as they look to secure qualifying times for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, China, from December 1 to 6.
Among those in focus are Hansel McCaig and Samuel Yalimaiwai, who will be hoping to translate their performances into another opportunity to represent Fiji on the international stage.
McCaig has already demonstrated his record-breaking ability, having set seven records in the 17-and-over category at the 2024 Short Course Age Group Nationals, including five short-course national records and two Fiji open short-course records.
Meanwhile, Yalimaiwai has also established himself among Fiji’s leading swimmers after winning gold in the men’s 50-metre breaststroke at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, where his time of 27.74 seconds set a new national record.
Consequently, both swimmers will be looking to build on their achievements as they pursue the standards required for Beijing.
Fiji Swimming coach Sharon Smith said athletes had earned their places at the nationals through three separate regional Grand Prix competitions held earlier in the year.
With that qualifying process complete, attention has now shifted to the competition itself, where swimmers have the opportunity to improve their times, challenge existing records and gain valuable racing experience.
“It’s a matter of just them diving in, getting their personal best times, maybe break their record, but it’s all about participation for some of the swimmers,” Smith said.
She said it was encouraging to see all seven clubs come together after competing in the regional events.
And while today’s final races will close the 2026 competition calendar, preparations for the next season are already taking shape.
Smith said the focus would be on keeping the country’s 30 longlist swimmers training through November, December and January, while developing squad swimmers across the different age categories.
