Following in the footsteps of Olympic Solidarity scholarship-holders who became Olympic stars like South Africa's Chad LeClos, a total of over 1,300 athletes from around the world are currently being supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on their road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Over the next few weeks, we will will share Tasi's story, offering an exclusive, behind-the-scenes insight into what it takes to reach the Games.
Federated States of Micronesia swimmer Tasi Limtiaco reveals how an athlete from a small island can make it to the world stage. Taking a look at scholarship-holders on their road to Paris, Limtiaco talks about the progress he has made since Tokyo 2020 and his hopes for the future of swimming back home.
Growing up on the island nation of Guam in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Limtiaco was never far from water.
“I’ve always had an affinity with the water,” he told the IOC. “I’d be out there every day, swimming around. Eventually, my dad took me down to a local club to learn how to swim properly, and I really took to it. That’s how it all started.”
Limtiaco showed an immediate talent for moving through the water fast and quickly began to surpass his peers. It didn’t take him long to be the big fish in a small pool and wanting more. “I grew up practising in a 15-metre hotel pool. As I started going through the ranks and getting better and better, there was nothing to challenge me.”
Tasi Takes it to the Next Level | Training at the World Aquatics Thanyapure Training Centre in Thailand
Knowing he needed to leave home to reach his full potential, Limtiaco first moved to Japan, where he trained alongside other future Olympians, before relocating to Thailand to train at the Thanyapura Training Centre on a World Aquatics scholarship.
Although leaving home for unfamiliar surroundings was tough, the experience has made Limtiaco not just a better swimmer, but a better person.
“Putting myself into those uncomfortable situations pushed me to be better, not just in swimming, but every aspect of life,” he explains. “Swimming is such a technical sport. You constantly have to be learning and willing to evolve, and different experiences help you do that.”
“Putting myself into those uncomfortable situations pushed me to be better, not just in swimming, but every aspect of life. Swimming is such a technical sport. You constantly have to be learning and willing to evolve, and different experiences help you do that.”
The training environment in Thanyapura proved beneficial with Limtiaco making his Olympic debut three years ago at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Competing in the 200m IM and representing his country on the Olympic stage was a surreal experience for the Micronesian.
“I was really nervous,” he admits. “But to be able to stand up there with the other Olympians, it’s a feeling that I can’t put into words.”
Following his first Olympics, Limtiaco moved his base to San Diego, the American coastal city in Southern California. Its a change made possible with the renewal of his Olympic Solidarity scholarship, which has provided crucial funding on his road to Paris 2024.
“Commuting back and forth to meets, paying team fees, buying new gear – it’s not cheap. Racing suits are probably the biggest expense we have as swimmers, and the funding has helped me out with that. It’s also allowed me to travel to some meets that I wouldn’t have been able to attend previously. I know some athletes who have had to pick up multiple jobs just to support themselves, but the Olympic Solidarity funding has helped me focus on my training.”
Limtiaco performances show that he's in a positive environment, as evidenced with his historic performance at the 2023 Pacific Games. Limtiaco won three gold medals – the first-ever for the Federated States of Micronesia – and a silver to top things off.
“For me, one of my biggest goals is putting Micronesia on the map, and winning those gold medals was a big step towards that,” he says. “It also showed me that I haven’t peaked yet, that I can keep getting better and I just need to keep pushing.”
"I haven’t peaked yet, that I can keep getting better and I just need to keep pushing.”
From the Pacific Games to Paris 2024 - and Beyond
Following his breakthrough at the Pacific Games, Limtiaco is now gearing up for Paris 2024, where he hopes to continue flying the flag for Micronesia.
“At Paris, I'm hoping to set a national record and take Micronesia swimming to the next level,” he explains. “I feel like, by doing that, it’ll help people recognise that even if you come from a small island, you’re able to do great things.”
Inspiring young swimmers back home is something that Limtiaco keeps coming back to and is acting as his motivation as he prepares to compete in his second Games.
“There’s so much untapped potential back home”, Limtiaco explains. “I want to see more medallists, not just at the Pacific Games, but at the Oceania Championships,” he explains. “And, who knows, maybe we’ll see a Micronesian on the Olympic Games medal podium someday.”
Stats | Scholarship-holder Success at the Tokyo 2020 Games
For Tokyo 2020, Olympic Solidarity invested a total of USD 47 million in the scholarship programme, enabling 1,836 athletes from 186 NOCs to train towards their dream of competing at the Olympic Games.
Nearly half (45 percent) of the scholarship-holders successfully qualified for the Games. These athletes went on to win 30 gold, 36 silver and 47 bronze medals in Tokyo.